From sen.cheng at rub.de Fri Jul 8 03:05:30 2011 From: sen.cheng at rub.de (Sen Cheng) Date: 8 Jul 2011 09:05:30 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience in Germany Message-ID: PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience Applications are invited for a PhD position in computational neuroscience in the unit of Prof. Sen Cheng in the Mercator Research Group ?Structure of Memory? (MRG1) at the Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. Our unit investigates the theoretical basis for learning and memory processes at the neuronal circuit level. A special emphasis is placed on the dynamics of the learning process, which largely has been neglected up to date. Access to experimental data can be facilitated through collaborations with experimental groups both on campus and at other institutions worldwide. The Ruhr University Bochum is home to a vibrant research community in neuroscience. Students will be encouraged to join the International Graduate School of Neuroscience and interact with the Institute of Neuroinformatics. MRG1 is funded by the Stiftung Mercator and investigates episodic and semantic memory processes and their relation to other cognitive functions. MRG1 comprises a diverse and interdisciplinary team of philosophers and experimental as well as theoretical neuroscientists. The main language of communication in the group is English. The successful applicant will have an excellent Master degree, or equivalent, in neuroscience, physics, mathematics, or engineering. Experience in mathematical or computer modeling is required. Familiarity with computational neuroscience would be a further asset. For further information see www.rub.de/cns. To apply please send a letter stating your motivation and your research interests, a complete CV, transcripts, and at least two letters of recommendation to mrg1 at rub.de by August 15, 2011. The Ruhr University Bochum is committed to equal opportunity. We strongly encourage applications from qualified women and persons with disabilities. --- Prof. Dr. Sen Cheng Ruhr-University Bochum Mercator Research Group "Structure of Memory" Universitaetsstr. 150 44801 Bochum Germany office: GA 04/48 | +49-234- 32 27136 | FAX: +49-234- 32 07136 sen.cheng at rub.de | http://www.rub.de/cns From mail at jan-peters.net Wed Jul 6 11:09:35 2011 From: mail at jan-peters.net (Jan Peters) Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2011 17:09:35 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoc/PhD Positions in Robot Learning and Reinforcement Learning Message-ID: <193E9885-5E82-46ED-9226-91261078599A@jan-peters.net> !!!!Postdoc/PhD positions available at the Intelligent Autonomous Systems Group at Darmstadt University of Technology / Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Germany!!! The Intelligent Autonomous Systems Group invites applications for several research positions (postdoc/phd) in the domain of robot learning and reinforcement learning. The core focus of the group evolves around the problem how we can endow robots with new motor skill and allow them to self-improve their abilities. In order to approach this topic, we develop novel machine learning methods, evaluate possibilities from the perspective of classical robotics and follow biological inspiration from human motor control. The researcher will be embedded in this highly international research group lead by Jan Peters which is centered at Darmstadt, Germany but is tightly intertwined with the Department of Empirical Inference & Machine Learning at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems as well as the Computational Learning and Motor Control Lab at the University of Southern California. The researcher will encouraged to partake in the our collaborations with many important machine learning and robotics groups in North America, Europe and Japan. More background can be found at the preliminary homepage http://www.intelligent-autonomous-systems.de/. The successful candidate should fit in with these interests and should have a strong background in either robotics and machine learning, ideally in both. Applications of scientists with background in reinforcement learning, imitation learning, robot learning, robot grasping and manipulation, motor skill learning, and biomimetic robotics are particularly encouraged. The positions are to be filled as soon as possible and are available immediately. Applications will be considered until all positions are filled. The application should include a cover letter stating the candidates research interests, curriculum vita, list of publications, and names of three referees. Electronic submission is requested. IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING TO APPLY, PLEASE PING ME (=Jan Peters) BY EMAIL ASAP! Contact Information: Prof. Jan Peters, Ph.D. Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, FB Informatik Hochschulstr. 10, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany phone: +49-6151-16 7351 fax: +49-6151-16 7374 email: peters at informatik.tu-darmstadt.de mail at jan-peters.net www: http://www.intelligent-autonomous-systems.de/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20110706/2cfd96b6/attachment.html From jlam at bccn-tuebingen.de Fri Jul 1 08:40:59 2011 From: jlam at bccn-tuebingen.de (Judith Lam) Date: Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:40:59 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: W2 group leader position in Theoretical Neuroscience Message-ID: <4E0DC05B.7050702@bccn-tuebingen.de> The recently established Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience T?bingen (http://www.bccn-tuebingen.de ) seeks to appoint a *W2 group leader position in "Theoretical Neuroscience"* at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics. The Bernstein Center in Tuebingen investigates the neural basis of perceptual inference and we invite excellent postdoctoral researchers in the field of Theoretical Neuroscience who would like to contribute to the goals of the center to apply. To ensure full consideration application documents should be sent as electronic copy to the coordinator of the Bernstein center (mbethge at tuebingen.mpg.de ) by July 15. The total funding for the group is 1.2 Mio Euros and the run time is 6 years. The group will be located at Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Cybernetics. There are no teaching obligations but great opportunities to contribute to the lecturing at the newly established graduate school for neural information processing (http://www.neuroschool-tuebingen-comput.de/index.php?id=182). The Bernstein Center entertains close links to the Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN) in T?bingen (http://www.cin.uni-tuebingen.de ) and includes two Max Planck Institutes, the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, and the University. The thriving research community is composed of sixty labs with more than 150 postdocs and 300 PhD students. Possibilities exist for multiple interactions between neurobiological, psychophysical, and theoretical researchers. T?bingen itself is a beautiful medieval town and home to one of the oldest European universities. It boasts a rich cultural community and is situated close to the Black Forrest within 2h train or driving distance to France, Switzerland and Austria. -- -- Judith Lam Executive Coordinator Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience T?bingen http://www.bccn-tuebingen.de/about-bccn/contact.html Spemannstr. 41, 72076 T?bingen Tel: +49 7071 601 1766 Fax: +49 7071 601 1794 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20110701/268c9d98/attachment.html From Dominique.Martinez at loria.fr Fri Jul 8 11:25:29 2011 From: Dominique.Martinez at loria.fr (Dominique Martinez) Date: Fri, 08 Jul 2011 17:25:29 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: PhD/Postdoc positions in biorobotics at LORIA-CNRS in Nancy, France Message-ID: <4E172169.8060005@loria.fr> PhD/Postdoc positions in biorobotics at LORIA-CNRS in Nancy, France : Full-time PhD and postdoctoral positions are available at LORIA CNRS (http://www.loria.fr) for studying olfactory coding and olfactory searches in insects by means of a multidisciplinary approach combining computational models and biorobotic experiments. We investigate one of the most remarkable olfactory searching behaviour known in nature: the male moth which actively localizes an immobile female that signals its presence by emitting a sex pheromone. This source localization problem is approached with a cyborg, using the antennae of a tethered moth mounted on a moving robot controlled by neural network models of the olfactory pathway. This work is part of the Pherotaxis project funded by the French national research agency (ANR) which involves two teams at LORIA : Cortex (http://cortex.loria.fr) and Maia (http://maia.loria.fr). The candidates should hold a degree in either applied physics, electrical engineering, or computer science and should demonstrate a strong interest in biophysics and system neuroscience as they will have to interact with other researchers (electrophysiologists) to perform electroantennogram recordings on tethered moths. Applications including a CV and the names of two references must be sent electronically to Dominique Martinez (Dominique.Martinez at loria.fr , http://www.loria.fr/~dmartine). From holroyd at uvic.ca Tue Jul 5 14:10:34 2011 From: holroyd at uvic.ca (Clay Holroyd) Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2011 11:10:34 -0700 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoctoral Research Fellowship - Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning Message-ID: <6297831602A1B549AAEC9064308335878973583682@EMC6.uvic.ca> Postdoctoral Research Fellowship - Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning Learning and Cognitive Control Laboratory Department of Psychology University of Victoria, Canada http://web.uvic.ca/~lccl/ The Learning and Cognitive Control Laboratory is recruiting a postdoctoral fellow to conduct research in computational cognitive neuroscience. The successful candidate will contribute to the development of a computational model of anterior cingulate cortex based on principles of hierarchical reinforcement learning theory. They will be joining an active laboratory that is investigating a range of topics including cognitive control, decision making, attention, spatial navigation, and continuous motor control, in normals as well as in special populations (e.g., children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, substance abusers). The laboratory provides state-of-the art event-related brain potential facilities and opportunities for behavioral, functional magnetic resonance imaging and genetics research. The candidate will also have access to Westgrid, a high-performance computing network that encompasses 14 partner institutions across four provinces. Applicants must have a PhD in computational cognitive neuroscience or a related discipline. A background in reinforcement learning theory and familiarity with issues in cognitive neuroscience are preferred. The post is funded for two years with potential for re-funding; salary will be commensurate with experience. The position will be available starting September, 2011, but applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. To apply, email a curriculum vitae, statement of research background and interests, and have 3 referees forward letters of recommendation to Jenny Macsween at macsween at uvic.ca . The University of Victoria is located on beautiful Vancouver Island, in close proximity to Vancouver, BC, and Seattle, WA. Victoria is the provincial capital of British Columbia and provides a wealth of cultural and outdoor recreation opportunities. From dglanzma at mail.nih.gov Fri Jul 8 14:32:53 2011 From: dglanzma at mail.nih.gov (Glanzman, Dennis (NIH/NIMH) [E]) Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2011 14:32:53 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: Call for Posters - 19th Annual Dynamical Neuroscience Meeting Message-ID: <87A69598824B3D4EBF14080B3F0906BE03E58BDF2D@NIHMLBX12.nih.gov> 19th Annual Dynamical Neuroscience Satellite Symposium Deep Brain Stimulation in Mental Illness, Neurological Disorders and Cognitive Impairment Preceding the 41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience Thursday and Friday, November 10-11, 2011 Marriott Renaissance Washington Hotel Mount Vernon Square Room 999 Ninth Street NW, Washington, DC Deep Brain Stimulation is a treatment which has been initiated in over a dozen neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions and disorders, yet the mechanism(s) underlying its efficacy are largely unknown and subject to much speculation. The procedure has also been reported to produce numerous instances of adverse effects, ranging from bleeding within the brain and infection to cognitive dysfunction, hallucinations, compulsivity and even depression. This symposium will address the current range of applications, efficacies, case studies, and the theory and modeling that attempt to uncover the biological underpinnings of its beneficial effects. The ultimate goal is to bring about a greater understanding of the means by which the beneficial effects are produced, at the molecular, cellular and network levels. Invited Speakers Helen M. Bronte-Stewart, Joseph J. Fins, Benjamin D. Greenberg, Jaimie M. Henderson, Kendall H. Lee, Sarah Hollingsworth "Holly" Lisanby, Helen S. Mayberg, Cameron C. McIntyre, Martha J. Morrell, Nicholas D. Schiff, Michele Tagliati, Philip A. Starr and Jerrold L. Vitek Keynote Address Winner of the 4th Annual Swartz Prize in Computational Neuroscience Symposium Organizers Cameron C. McIntyre, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and Dennis L. Glanzman, NIMH/NIH For logistical information please contact Nakia Wilson, The Dixon Group, Inc., (202)-281-2825, nwilson at dixongroup.com For programmatic information, please contact Dennis Glanzman, NIMH/NIH, (301) 443-1576, glanzman at nih.gov There is no fee to attend this meeting. Register and submit a poster at this website: http://neuro.dgimeetings.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20110708/4d8df606/attachment.html From david at nld.ds.mpg.de Fri Jul 8 17:57:48 2011 From: david at nld.ds.mpg.de (David Hofmann) Date: Fri, 08 Jul 2011 23:57:48 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: =?utf-8?q?CNS_Course_G=C3=B6ttingen_2011?= Message-ID: <4E177D5C.8070908@nld.ds.mpg.de> Fall Course on Computational Neuroscience in G?ttingen, Germany Applications are invited for the ninth fall course on COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE in G?ttingen, Germany September 19th - 23rd, 2011 organized by David Hofmann The course is intended to provide graduate students and young researchers from all parts of neuroscience with working knowledge of theoretical and computational methods in neuroscience and to acquaint them with recent developments in this field. The course includes tutorials and lectures of the following researchers: * Rainer Friedrich, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel * Jason Kerr, Max-Planck-Institut f?r biologische Kybernetik, T?bingen * David McAlpine, University College London * Susanne Schreiber, Humboldt University zu Berlin * (yet unconfirmed) Kenji Doya, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology The course takes place at the Department of Nonlinear Dynamics of the Max-Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Am Fassberg 17, D-37077 G?ttingen. A course fee of 100 Euro includes participation in the tutorials, study materials, and part of the social events. The number of participants is limited to about 30. Course language is English. To apply please fill out the application form at: http://www.bccn-goettingen.de/events-1/cns-course by August 15, 2011. Best wishes and looking forward to seeing you in G?ttingen David Hofmann -- David Hofmann Phone: +49-(0)551-5176-417 Mobile: +49-(0)176-28275472 Homepage: http://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/119797.html Max Planck Institut for Dynamics and Self-Organization Department for Nonlinear Dynamics Am Fa?berg 17, 37077 G?ttingen From prevete at na.infn.it Mon Jul 11 08:44:45 2011 From: prevete at na.infn.it (Roberto Prevete) Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:44:45 +0200 (CEST) Subject: Connectionists: New Paper: "From motor to sensory processing in mirror neuron computational modelling" Message-ID: <38475.172.16.1.140.1310388285.squirrel@imap-lp.na.infn.it> Dear colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to a paper we recently published in Biological Cybernetics,Volume 103, Number 6/December 2010, 471-485, DOI: 10.1007/s00422-010-0415-5. A different approach to the computational modelling of mirror neurons, inspired by the direct matching hypothesis, is pursued there. Indeed, mirror activity is hypothesized to code for motor information which is supplied to the visual system for the purpose of interpreting sensory inputs. More specifically, this model assigns a central functional role to mirror mechanisms in visual perception, predicting that motor information coded by mirror neurons simplifies the processing of sensory (visual) inputs and improves the results of action recognition tasks. TITLE: From motor to sensory processing in mirror neuron computational modelling AUTHORS: Giovanni Tessitore, Roberto Prevete, Ezio Catanzariti, Guglielmo Tamburrini (University of Naples Federico II, Dept. Scienze Fisiche, Italy) ABSTRACT: Typical patterns of hand-joint covariation arising in the context of grasping actions enable one to provide simplified descriptions of these actions in terms of small sets of hand-joint parameters. The computational model of mirror mechanisms introduced here hypothesizes that mirror neurons are crucially involved in coding and making this simplified motor information available for both action recognition and control processes. In particular, grasping action recognition processes are modeled in terms of a visuo-motor loop enabling one to make iterated use of mirror-coded motor information. In simulation experiments concerning the classification of reach-to-grasp actions, mirror-coded information was found to simplify the processing of visual inputs and to improve action recognition results with respect to recognition procedures that are solely based on visual processing. The visuo-motor loop involved in action recognition is a distinctive feature of this model which is coherent with the direct matching hypothesis. Moreover, the visuo-motor loop sets the model introduced here apart from those computational models that identify mirror neuron activity in action observation with the final outcome of computational processes unidirectionally flowing from sensory (and usually visual) to motor systems. Best regards, Roberto Prevete ------------- Dept. of Scienze Fisiche University of Naples Federico II Italy http://vinelab.na.infn.it/ From hiro at brain.riken.jp Mon Jul 11 20:36:03 2011 From: hiro at brain.riken.jp (hiroyuki nakahara) Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:36:03 +0900 Subject: Connectionists: Positions available at RIKEN Brain Science Institute Message-ID: <20110712093603.E27A.25DAB7C8@brain.riken.jp> Dear colleagues, Applications are invited for opening positions for postdoctoral scientists to work at the Laboratory for Integrated Theoretical Neuroscience (Lab Head: Hiro Nakahara; http://www.itn.brain.riken.jp), RIKEN Brain Science Institute (BSI). Our laboratory is interested in elucidating neural mechanisms of decision making with computational foundations, including the following research topics; 1. Neural mechanisms and computations of decision making; value-based decision making, motivated/social behaviors (neuroeconomics), and adaptive learning (reinforcement learning); functions (although not limited to) in basal ganglia related circuits and prefrontal areas 2. Computational and mathematical foundations of neural activities; population coding properties, and characterization/analysis of interactions among neural activities To investigate these, we primarily use computational approaches (e.g., building computational and mathematical models of neural processes), and human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments. We are currently having opening positions for both computational studies and human fMRI studies, and are seeking enthusiastic and well-qualified scientists to join in our research activities. For computational studies, a qualified record and research experience in computational neuroscience is expected in the area described above or related area. A strong quantitative background in neuroscience, mathematics, computer science, statistics, machine learning, physics or related area is expected. The successful candidate should have good general computer skills, and especially good computer programming skills (e.g., Matlab). Close collaboration with experimental studies is emphasized; in-house fMRI and psychophysics experiments, and frequent collaborative research with experimental laboratories (e.g., monkey neurophysiology). For human fMRI experimental studies, the ideal candidate should have a qualified record and research experience in human fMRI experiments in the research area described above or related area, but candidates with a strong record and experience in different research areas, using fMRI, psychophysics or related technique (e.g., single-unit neurophysiology) are also considered. Candidates who wish to pursue experimental studies by linking experimental and computational approaches are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate should have a strong training in experimental methodology with solid quantitative skills. Research using fMRI is conducted by using RIKEN BSI's 4 Tesla MRI system, in collaboration with Dr. Kang Cheng (RIKEN BSI, fMRI Support Unit) and other excellent collaborators. Applicants should have, or be expecting to receive, a Ph.D., and have research interest and background in the area of (or related to) research described above. The successful candidate will be expected to conduct independent research as well as work closely in a team; therefore, a good balance of self-reliance and collegiality, implying a good attitude toward balancing independence and inter-dependence, is required. Good communication skills are essential, also being fluent in spoken and written English (working language is English at RIKEN Brain Science Institute, while there are also opportunities to take Japanese classes.) The RIKEN Brain Science Institute is located near Tokyo, Japan. Starting salaries will be commensurate with relevant ability and experience. Subsequent contracts, including salary adjustment, will be determined and renewed annually, upon review, for up to five years. Please send your application to itninfo at brain.riken.jp with the following materials: (1) a cover letter specifying the job opportunity you are interested in, (2) curriculum vitae including publication list, (3) research statement describing your past achievements and future interests, (4) the names and contact information of three references (including the current superviser, if available) with a brief description of your relationship to each reference, and (5) (optional) any additional information you think might be useful (e.g. additional skills and background, general interests, and so on). Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Screening will be done on a rolling basis, and applications submitted by the end of August, 2011 will be treated equally in the first screening.? Informal inquiry should be sent to itninfo at brain.riken.jp. The above information is an excerpt from the formal job announcement, posted on RIKEN Brain Science Institute website: http://www.brain.riken.go.jp/en/work/positions/20110628_h_nakahara.html. Best wishes, Hiro Nakahara Lab for Integrated Theoretical Neuroscience RIKEN Brain Science Institute http://www.itn.brain.riken.jp -- hiroyuki nakahara http://www.itn.brain.riken.jp From R.Bogacz at bristol.ac.uk Mon Jul 11 05:28:01 2011 From: R.Bogacz at bristol.ac.uk (Rafal Bogacz) Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:28:01 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: 2 postdocs in Bristol on modelling decision making Message-ID: <4E1AC221.3010401@bristol.ac.uk> Dear Colleagues, I would like to let you know about 2 postdoctoral positions involving combination of modelling and human experiments to study neural bases of decision making: Contract: Fixed Term Contract (3-4 years) Salary: ?29,972 - ?37,990 Closing date for applications: 9:00am 12 Aug 2011 Anticipated interview date: 02 Sep 2011 Description Two post-doctoral research associate positions are available to work in a newly established interdisciplinary Research Centre on Decision Making in an Unstable World, bringing together the Schools of Experimental Psychology, Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Bristol. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council UK (EPSRC) has awarded a four-year, ?1.6M, grant to establish the Centre, which will build on current world-class research on decision-making which is carried out throughout the University. We will carry out experiments with human volunteers and build models to understand how decisions are made. The resulting models will then be applied to a range of real life problems. You should have a strong desire to carry out interdisciplinary research combining mathematical and computational modelling with experimental research on humans. For further information, please visit http://www.maths.bris.ac.uk/~madsl/decision-making. Informal enquiries are encouraged and should be made to Dr David Leslie (david.leslie at bristol.ac.uk) or Prof Iain Gilchrist (i.d.gilchrist at bristol.ac.uk). For details please see: http://www.bris.ac.uk/boris/jobs/feeds/ads?ID=98611 Best wishes, Rafal From ted.carnevale at yale.edu Mon Jul 11 15:22:58 2011 From: ted.carnevale at yale.edu (Ted Carnevale) Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:22:58 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: NEURON Course at 2011 SFN Meeting Message-ID: <4E1B4D92.8080007@yale.edu> Using NEURON to Model Cells and Networks Satellite Symposium, Society for Neuroscience Meeting 9 AM - 5 PM on Friday, Nov. 11, 2011 Speakers include M.L. Hines, N.T. Carnevale, T. McTavish, and G.M. Shepherd The emphasis of this course is on practical issues that are key to the most productive use of NEURON, an advanced simulation environment for realistic modeling of biological neurons and neural circuits. Through lectures and live computer demonstrations, we will present the principles and techniques that are involved in creating and using models of cells and networks with NEURON. We will also show how to speed up simulations by taking advantage of parallel hardware ranging from multiprocessor personal computers and workstation clusters to massively parallel supercomputers. Partial list of topics to be covered: * Efficient design and implementation of models of neurons and networks. + Constructing and managing models with NEURON's GUI, hoc, and Python. + Using the built-in variable-order variable-timestep integrator for improved speed and accuracy. + Parallelizing models of cells and networks. * Expanding NEURON's repertoire of biophysical mechanisms. * Databases for empirically-based modeling. Each registrant will a comprehensive set of notes. Registration is limited to 30 individuals on a first-come, first serve basis. Registration deadline is Friday, October 14, 2008. No on-site registration will be accepted. For more information see http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/dc2011/dc2011.html --Ted From alexei at bicasymposium.com Mon Jul 11 21:48:59 2011 From: alexei at bicasymposium.com (Alexei Samsonovich) Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2011 21:48:59 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: BICA 2011 Nov 5-6 in DC submission deadline July 27 Message-ID: Please find attached our CFP for Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures 2011 (November 5-6), co-located with AAAI Fall Symposia. Full papers, or just abstracts, are accepted and due by July 27th. More info at http://bicasociety.org/2011/. Please contact Alexei Samsonovich or Kamilla J?hannsd?ttir with questions. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: bica2011cfp.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 228983 bytes Desc: not available Url : https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20110712/839439dd/bica2011cfp-0001.pdf From h.spiers at ucl.ac.uk Wed Jul 13 04:16:53 2011 From: h.spiers at ucl.ac.uk (Hugo J Spiers) Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:16:53 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: 3-year Post-doc Job Vacancy at Univesity College London, UK Message-ID: <5caf8f0930a9d16876b7c440332c5e0e.squirrel@www.squirrelmail.ucl.ac.uk> ** 3-year Post-doc Job Vacancy at Univesity College London, UK ** A post-doctoral research position is available at University College London (UK) to work on a Wellcome Trust 3-year project grant with Hugo Spiers, Peter Dayan, Emrah Duzel and Will Penny. The project will use fMRI and MEG to test computational model predictions about navigational guidance mechanisms. The ideal candidate would have experience of analyzing neural data and an interest in memory and decision making. The post provides an opportunity to work with staff at the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL and the Birkbeck-UCL Centre for Neuroimaging. Details are available at: http://tinyurl.com/6c9bxpa From jutta.kretzberg at uni-oldenburg.de Fri Jul 15 04:36:21 2011 From: jutta.kretzberg at uni-oldenburg.de (Jutta Kretzberg) Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:36:21 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoctoral Position at University of Oldenburg, Germany Message-ID: <4E1FFC05.5070008@uni-oldenburg.de> Postdoctoral Position at University of Oldenburg, Germany We are seeking for a motivated postdoctoral researcher to establish voltage sensitive dye imaging of neuronal activity at University of Oldenburg, Germany. The candidate will collaborate with research groups in the Research Center Neurosensory Science. These groups study neural network dynamics in leech ganglia and auditory processing mechanisms in the central nervous system of birds and mammals. Since duties will include both experimental work and data analysis, candidates should have computer programming experience and a background in at least one of the fields: -Imaging of neuronal activity -Electrophysiology -Advanced data analysis (preferably imaging data) Initially, the position is offered for a period of two years, starting October 2011 at the earliest time. It is planned to extend the period, provided additional funding becomes available. Reviewing of applications will start on August 15^th 2011 until the position is filled. Please send your applications (including letter of motivation, CV, publication list, relevant certificates and contact information of referees) to Research Center Neurosensory Science Carl von Ossietzky University 26111 Oldenburg Germany (Or by email to jutta.kretzberg at uni-oldenburg.de ) For further information, please contact jutta.kretzberg at uni-oldenburg.de or georg.klump at uni-oldenburg.de The University of Oldenburg is dedicated to increasing the percentage of female employees in the field of science and encourages applications from female candidates. Handicapped applicants will be given preference in case of equal qualifications. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20110715/748f5626/attachment.html From torcini at gmail.com Fri Jul 15 06:31:55 2011 From: torcini at gmail.com (A. Torcini) Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:31:55 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: Program of the Workshop on "Coherent neural activity" at CNS*2011 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Twentieth Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting CNS*2011 CNS*2011, July 23-28, 2011 in Stockholm, Sweden ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The program of the workshop Relevance of coherent neural activity for brain functionality http://neuro.fi.isc.cnr.it/index.php?page=workshop to be held on July 28th is available online at the following address http://neuro.fi.isc.cnr.it/index.php?page=program or it can be downloaded at this address http://neuro.fi.isc.cnr.it/uploads/TALKS/program.pdf See you soon Alessandro Torcini and Michael Rosenblum From david.c.sterratt at ed.ac.uk Wed Jul 20 12:30:16 2011 From: david.c.sterratt at ed.ac.uk (David Sterratt) Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2011 17:30:16 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: New textbook: Principles of Computational Modelling in Neuroscience Message-ID: <1311179416.32526.13.camel@canongate.inf.ed.ac.uk> Dear colleagues, We are very pleased to announce the publication of our textbook "Principles of Computational Modelling in Neuroscience", published by Cambridge University Press. This book provides a step-by-step account of how to model the neuron and neural circuitry to understand the nervous system at all levels, from ion channels to networks. Starting with a simple model of the neuron as an electrical circuit, gradually more details are added to include the effects of neuronal morphology, synapses, ion channels and intracellular signalling. The principle of abstraction is explained through chapters on simplifying models, and how simplified models can be used in networks. This theme is continued in a final chapter on modelling the development of the nervous system. An associated website (http://www.compneuroprinciples.org) provides sample code and up-to-date links to external resources, such as simulators and databases. David Sterratt Bruce Graham Andrew Gillies David Willshaw -- David C Sterratt, Research Fellow - http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/sterratt Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation tel: +44 131 651 1739 School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh fax: +44 131 650 6899 Informatics Forum, 10 Crichton Street, Edinburgh EH8 9AB, Scotland, UK The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. From jutta.kretzberg at uni-oldenburg.de Wed Jul 20 17:22:31 2011 From: jutta.kretzberg at uni-oldenburg.de (Jutta Kretzberg) Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2011 23:22:31 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: PhD Position at University of Oldenburg, Germany Message-ID: <4E274717.5030200@uni-oldenburg.de> PhD Position at University of Oldenburg, Germany The Computational Neuroscience group at University of Oldenburg, Germany, is seeking for a motivated PhD candidate to study mouse retinal coding. The project will be focused on the question how visual information is encoded in the spike activity of retinal ganglion cell ensembles, comparing wild type and knockout mice. The candidate will perform behavioral experiments to measure visual thresholds and multi-electrode recordings of retinal ganglion cell activity in the isolated retina. Moreover, the project will include data analysis and visual stimulus design. Experience in electrophysiology, behavioral experiments and / or computer programming would be beneficial. The candidate will become a member of the DFG research unit "Dynamics and stability in retinal processing" and can additionally benefit from the PhD program "Neurosensory Science and Systems". The position is offered for a period of three years, starting October 2011 at the earliest time. Reviewing of applications will start on August 15^th 2011 until the position is filled. Please send your applications (including letter of motivation, CV, relevant certificates, contact information of two referees and if applicable publication list) to Research Center Neurosensory Science Carl von Ossietzky University 26111 Oldenburg Germany (Or by email to jutta.kretzberg at uni-oldenburg.de ) The University of Oldenburg is dedicated to increasing the percentage of female employees in the field of science and encourages applications from female candidates. Handicapped applicants will be given preference in case of equal qualifications. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20110720/c12263bd/attachment-0001.html From badjoby at gmail.com Wed Jul 20 23:29:31 2011 From: badjoby at gmail.com (Joby Joseph) Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:59:31 +0530 Subject: Connectionists: Faculty positions, Neural and Cognitive Sciences, Hyderabad. Message-ID: Center for Neural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hyderabad We are looking to fill faculty positions (research+teaching) with expertise in the following 1) Neuropsychology/Cognitive psychology. 2) Cognitive linguistics. at our ?Center for Neural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hyderabad?. The applicant should be able to contribute to research integrating theory and experiments. The person should be able to complement our existing strengths in computational linguistic, philosophical and neurophysiological approaches to cognition. Prospective candidates with Indian citizenship may email their CV to Prof. Vipin Srivastava (Coordinator) vpssp at uohyd.ernet.in. Joby Joseph Reader Center for Neural and Cognitive Sciences University of Hyderabad, India Ph: +918008531777 Fax: +914023134493 Alt email: jjcncs at uohyd.ernet.in From atsu-kan at atr.jp Fri Jul 22 00:52:25 2011 From: atsu-kan at atr.jp (KANEMURA Atsunori) Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:52:25 +0900 Subject: Connectionists: Researcher Positions at ATR Neural Information Analysis Labs. Message-ID: <4E290209.3030701@atr.jp> To Whom it May Concern: ATR Neural Information Analysis Laboratories, Kyoto, Japan, have openings for researcher positions and invite applications from Ph.D. holders (or Ph.D. candidates who are very close to completion) with strong motivations and ambitions in the research project described below. Our institute ATR, located in western Japan, is one of the top research centers in computational neuroscience, biomedical signal processing, and robotics in Asia (see http://www.cns.atr.jp/en/ for more details). Our group research on brain-machine interface (BMI), which controls actuators by estimating human movement and intension from brain activities measured noninvasively by MEG, EEG, fMRI, and NIRS. In particular, we focus on developing information scientific methods, bio-measurement techniques, and neurosciences. The project for which we are recruiting aims to construct a new information-communication technology to connect people and machines through engineering applications of neuroscience. More specifically, the project's goal is to develop a BMI methodology that works well in various environments in the real world by simultaneous measurement of human behavior and brain activities and also by parallel and distributed processing of large-scale data. We look forward to your applications and recommendations. Shin Ishii ATR Neural Information Analysis Laboratories, Kyoto, Japan = Job description = (1) Ambient informatics team The researcher will join a team dedicated for establishing an environment for continuous measurement and recognition of human behavior in a daily life. Here, the "environment" includes hardware facilities, efficient network, and pattern recognition algorithms and software. The team is supported by engineers. Data measurement devices include stereo cameras, laser range finders, microphones, pyroelectric sensors, power monitors (for appliance), and bio-measurement devices (for electromyogram (EMG), heart pulse, blood pressure, perspiration, and temperature). Good proposals for additional measurement modalities will be welcomed. (2) Decoding team The researcher will join a team dedicated for developing artifact reduction and decoding algorithms for brain activities measured under real environments. Brain activity data measured in real environments would often be contaminated by non-brain signals, which must be reduced by all means for further analysis. By solving a challenging research problem of decoding of movement or intension in uncontrolled experiments, the team will develop BMI algorithms under real environments. The successful candidate should have a strong background in machine learning, information retrieval, or statistical signal processing. Excellent programming skills and experiences of large-scale data analysis will be advantageous. (3) Neurosciences team The researcher will join a team dedicated for neuroscience studies focusing on human decision making and motor control under real environments. The team's challenging goal is to elucidate the neural bases involved in decision making and motor control, which are sufficiently robust even in the uncertain real world, by fully utilizing newly developed techniques of brain machine interface. The teams include several foreign researchers and we also have collaborated closely with researchers in countries overseas. Thus, applications from abroad are particularly welcome. = Requirements = Applicants must: - have a Ph.D. (or be near completion). - have strong motivations and ambitions to take part in the research above. Also, researchers having interest in neural and human science with expertise in one or more of the following areas are welcomed: - Statistics, machine learning, parallel distributed computing, signal processing, artificial intelligence, bio-measurement and instrumentation, computer vision, statistical physics, cognitive psychology. Exceptional applicants with a master?s or equivalent degree will be considered as well. = Number of openings = Few = Employment conditions = Position : Full-time Researcher / Full-time Research Engineer Tenure : Single year based contract, renewable based on evaluation Treatment: Based on individual performance Work Location: Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan = Application materials = Please submit the following five materials to the contact address below, either in printed or electronic form: 1. CV 2. List of publications 3. Reprints of 1?3 major publications 4. Document (one or two pages in A4 or letter size) describing: - Summary of your previous research - Interests and proposal for research - Additional research skills not directly foreseeable from publications 5. Recommendation letters from two researchers * Original documents you submit will not be returned. = Judging system = After documentary examination, we ask for presentation and interview if needed = Starting date = After October 2011 (negotiable) = Deadline for application = Opens until positions are filled. = Contact = ATR Neural Information Analysis Laboratories (Application for Researcher Position) 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan Email: dbi-info at atr.jp = Use of personal data = All personal data received will be properly managed and only be used for the purpose of recruitment. From igel at diku.dk Fri Jul 22 03:44:55 2011 From: igel at diku.dk (Christian Igel) Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2011 09:44:55 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: career opportunity at University of Copenhagen Message-ID: The Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen has established FREJA Fellowships for increasing gender equality. I think these are great career opportunities. A FREJA Fellowship is a tenure-track Postdoc stipend leading to a permanent Associate Professorship. Machine learning including neural computation is an active research area at the Department of Computer Science (DIKU), which is part of the Faculty of Science, and applications from machine learning researchers are very welcome. For details see: http://www.science.ku.dk/stipendier/ledige_stipendier/freja_2011/ Best wishes, Christian From brent.doiron at gmail.com Mon Jul 25 23:44:32 2011 From: brent.doiron at gmail.com (Brent Doiron) Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:44:32 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: COSYNE 2012 Workshop call Message-ID: Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2012 http://www.cosyne.org Main meeting: February 23, 2012 - February 26, 2012 Marriott, Downtown, Salt Lake City, Utah Workshops: February 27, 2012 - February 28, 2012 Snowbird Ski Resort, Snowbird, Utah ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------- CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS --------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PROPOSAL DEADLINE: Preference will be given to proposals received by September 16, 2011; proposals received by October 28, 2011 will be considered, if space is available A series of workshops will be held after the main Cosyne meeting ( http://cosyne.org/). The goal is to provide an informal forum for the discussion of important research questions and challenges. Controversial issues, open problems, comparisons of competing approaches, and alternative viewpoints are encouraged. The overarching goal of all workshops should be the integration of empirical and theoretical approaches, in an environment that fosters collegial discussion and debate. Preference will be given to proposals that differ in content, scope, and/or approach from workshops of recent years (examples available at cosyne.org). Relevant topics include, but are not limited to: sensory processing; motor planning and control; functional neural circuits; motivation, reward and decision making; learning and memory; adaptation and plasticity; neural coding; neural circuitry and network models; and methods in computational or systems neuroscience. WORKSHOP DETAILS: -- There will be 4-8 workshops/day, running in parallel. ? Each workshop is expected to draw between 15 and 80 people. -- The workshops will be split into morning (8:00-11:00 AM) and afternoon (4:30-7:30 PM) sessions. -- Workshops will be held at Snowbird, a ski resort located 30 miles (typically less than an hour) from the Salt Lake City airport. -- Buses from the main conference will be provided. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: Deadline: September 16 2011 Format: plain text only -- please no attachments email to: cosyne12workshops at googlegroups.com (Brent Doiron, Jessica Cardin) Proposals should include: - Name(s) and email address(es) of the organizers (no more than 2 organizers per session, please). A primary contact should be designated. -- A title. -- A brief description of: what the workshop is to address and accomplish, why the topic is of interest, who the targeted group of participants is. -- Names of potential invitees, with indication of which speakers are confirmed. Preference will be given to workshops with the most confirmed speakers. -- Proposed workshop length (1 or 2 days). Most workshops will be limited to a single day. If you think your workshop needs 2 days, please explain why. -- A *brief* resume of the workshop organizer along with a *brief* list of publications (about half a page total). WORKSHOP ORGANIZERS RESPONSIBILITIES: -- Coordinate workshop participation and content. -- Moderate the discussion. SUGGESTIONS: Experience has shown that the best discussions during a workshop are those that arise spontaneously. A good way to foster these is to have short talks and long question periods (e.g. 30+15 minutes), and have plenty of breaks. We recommend fewer than 10 talks. WORKSHOP COSTS: Detailed registration costs, etc, will be available here Please note: Cosyne does NOT provide travel funding for workshop speakers. All workshop speakers are expected to pay for workshop registration fees. Participants are encouraged to register early, in order to qualify for discounted registration rates. One complementary (free) organizer registration is provided per workshop. For workshops with 2 organizers, the free registration can be given to one of the organizers or split evenly between them. COSYNE 2012 WORKSHOP CHAIRS: Brent Doiron (Pittsburgh), Jessica Cardin (Yale) QUESTIONS: email: cosyne12workshops at googlegroups.com -- Brent Doiron, PhD Assistant professor Department of Mathematics University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA, 15260 www.math.pitt.edu/~bdoiron -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20110725/5d8a7991/attachment.html From d.polani at herts.ac.uk Sun Jul 24 18:10:21 2011 From: d.polani at herts.ac.uk (d.polani@herts.ac.uk) Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2011 23:10:21 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Fourth International Workshop on Guided Self-Organisation (GSO-2011) Message-ID: <20012.38989.272586.784751@thelma.stca.herts.ac.uk> Dear Colleagues, This is a Call for Abstracts and Participation for the Fourth International Workshop on Guided Self-Organisation (GSO-2011) to be held at University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, UK, September 8-10, 2011: http://informatics.indiana.edu/larryy/gso4/ The workshop will bring together researchers from a richly diverse background who share interest in understanding and designing self-organizing systems. This includes, but is not limited to models from network theory (e.g. boolean or neural networks, as well as associated learning rules, as well as general network theory), and biologically relevant and/or plausible self-organization mechanisms (including neural organization or morphogenetic dynamics). Particular attention has been given in the past to the analysis of generic information processing principles perception-action loops (including organization and generation of open- and closed-loop dynamics, including learning rules and exploration strategies), as well as general and powerful network (neural, but also Boolean networks and networks of more general kind) analysis methods, based on information and graph theory. A number of recent developments in neural modeling and biological information processing studies have profited significantly from exposure to studies of GSO methodologies. Submissions to the workshop are extended abstracts (one page). If interested in active participation, send an extended abstract (by 3. August 2011) by email to: prokopenko.mikhail at gmail.com The notifications are expected by 14 August 2011. Authors of accepted submissions will present the content to the workshop. It is expected that post-workshop publication of selected presentations will follow in a special journal issue (as has been the case for previous GSO workshops). Please consult above website for more information. Participation without presentation is free, but in this case registration is requested until 28. August, as spaces are limited, at the following address: d.polani at herts.ac.uk Best wishes, Daniel Polani Larry Yaeger Mikhail Prokopenko From kirsch at bcf.uni-freiburg.de Wed Jul 27 10:07:13 2011 From: kirsch at bcf.uni-freiburg.de (Janina Kirsch) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:07:13 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: BC11: 2nd Announcement and Call for Abstracts In-Reply-To: <001301cbf5d3$752e1510$5f8a3f30$@uni-freiburg.de> References: <001401cb0d47$5fc842b0$1f58c810$@uni-freiburg.de> <001301cbf5d3$752e1510$5f8a3f30$@uni-freiburg.de> Message-ID: <00f901cc4c66$7c879fe0$7596dfa0$@uni-freiburg.de> === 2nd Announcement and Call for Abstracts === BC11: Computational Neuroscience & Neurotechnology Bernstein Conference and Neurex Annual Meeting 2011 October 4-6, 2011 NOTE: Early registration & abstract submission close Aug. 23, 2011. The Bernstein Conference is the central scientific meeting of the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience (www.nncn.de). This year, it is organized by the Bernstein Center Freiburg and will take place on October 4-6, 2011, in association with the Annual Meeting of the tri-national neuroscience network Neurex (www.neurex.org). BC11 is a single-track conference, covering all aspects of Computational Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (CN & NT). We invite the submission of abstracts for poster presentations from all relevant areas of CN & NT, including, but not limited to: - sensory processing - motor control - learning and plasticity - neural encoding and decoding - neurons, networks and dynamical systems - data analysis and machine learning - brain-related diseases, network dysfunction, intervention - neurotechnology, brain-machine interfaces The abstracts will be published in the journal Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience. Several poster prizes (500 EUR each) will be awarded. Moreover, the NeuroVision Film Contest offers two 500 EUR awards for the best visualization of neuroscience! (www.bccn-2011.uni-freiburg.de/neurovision) CONFERENCE DATE AND VENUE: October 4-6, 2011 Bernstein Center Freiburg and University of Freiburg, Germany NNCN PhD-STUDENT SYMPOSIUM: "Perspectives - beyond the PhD" October 7, 2011 Bernstein Center Freiburg, Germany For registration and abstract submission, please visit the Conference Website: http://www.bc11.de IMPORTANT DATES: Abstract submission deadline: August 23, 2011 Early registration closes: August 23, 2011 Regular registration closes: September 27, 2011 ORGANIZATION: Ulrich Egert (General Chair) Ad Aertsen, Simone Cardoso de Oliveira, Florence Dancoisne, Andreas Friedrich, Gunnar Grah, Gundel Jaeger, Bernd Wiebelt We look forward to seeing you at BC11 !! From pul8 at psu.edu Mon Jul 25 22:26:19 2011 From: pul8 at psu.edu (Ping Li) Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:26:19 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: postdoc opportunity In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Postdoctoral Position in Neural Network Models of Language. Qualified individuals are invited to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship in connectionist modeling of language and bilingualism. The fellowship is supported by the National Science Foundation (USA), and provides an annual stipend of around $38,000-$41,000 (commensurate with experience and qualifications). The initial appointment will be for one year, with the possibility of renewal for a second year. A qualified candidate should hold a Ph.D. degree by the time of appointment in an area of cognitive sciences (computer science, psychology, or linguistics) and have experience in neural networks and natural language processing. Technical experiences with C/C++, MatLab, Unix/Linux are necessary. The successful candidate will join the PI's research team to work on self-organizing models of language, with particular reference to dynamic lexical interaction and competition in multiple languages. The project will be carried out at the laboratory for Brain, Language, and Computation (http://cogsci.psu.edu) in the Department of Psychology at the Pennsylvania State University. The BLC Lab is associated with several vibrant research communities at Penn State, including the Center for Language Science (http://cls.psu.edu), the Social, Life, and Engineering Sciences Imaging Center (http://www.imaging.psu.edu/), and the Penn State Institute of the Neurosciences (http://www.huck.psu.edu/institutes-and-centers/neuroscience). Applicants should send a CV, recent reprints or preprints, and a cover letter with a statement of research experience and interests. All application materials should be sent electronically to pul8 at psu.edu by August 31, 2011. Individuals of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce. ================================================================= Ping Li, Ph.D. | Professor of Psychology, Linguistics, Information Sciences & Technology ?| ?Director, University Park Graduate Program in Neuroscience ?| Pennsylvania State University ?| University Park, PA 16802, USA ?| Editor, Bilingualism: Language and Cognition | Email: pul8 at psu.edu ?| URL: http://cogsci.psu.edu ================================================================= From rosejosling at westnet.com.au Sun Jul 24 03:13:13 2011 From: rosejosling at westnet.com.au (Rose Josling) Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2011 17:13:13 +1000 Subject: Connectionists: The Future of Technology - Singularity Summit Australia 2011 Message-ID: <1311491593.17467.19.camel@tim-laptop> ?THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY? SINGULARITY SUMMIT 2011 AUGUST 20-21 RMIT UNIVERSITY MELBOURNE What will tomorrow look like? Few could predict just how fast and dramatic the social, economic and political impacts of computer technology could be in our lifetimes. If present trends are to continue, computers will have more advanced and powerful ?brains? than humans within 25 years. This August, leading scientists, inventors and philosophers will gather at RMIT to discuss the upcoming ?intelligence explosion? that many now refer to as ?The Singularity?- a technological breakthrough that promises to eclipse previous computing developments with the creation of super-human machines. The ?Singularity Summit? - a part of National Science Week - is an unprecedented opportunity to engage with today's leading experts on emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, nanotechnology and brain-computer interfaces - right here in Melbourne. As a pre-summit launch, the Australian premiere of documentary ?Transcendent Man? - featuring leading futurist, singularity advocate and recent Time Magazine cover star ?Ray Kurzweil? - will be held at Nova Cinemas, Carlton on August 19. The screening will also feature a prerecorded message to Australia from Ray Kurzweil and producer Barry Ptolemy, and a Q&A session with documentary participants and Internationally renowned Artificial Intelligence (AI) experts - Dr Ben Goertzel and Dr Hugo De Garis - both of whom will also be presenting at the summit. The 2010 Singularity Summit drew over a hundred local, interstate and international enthusiasts to hear first-rate speakers from a range of fields. In 2011, we have again assembled a stellar line-up - Including leading Artificial Intelligence experts Dr Ben Goertzel and Professor Steve Omohundro, popular scientist Dr Lawrence Krauss and renowned philosopher Dr David Chalmers. This years summit will also feature exciting robotic demonstrations by Professor Raymond Jarvis, and others. The summit will explore the important ethical and philosophical dimensions of the Singularity - whilst sharing the very latest scientific and technological breakthroughs. There?s simply no better way to glimpse the future of these exciting technologies. Seating is limited, so Secure your tickets for the 2011 Summit Here >> The conference will be held at Casey Plaza at RMIT or a larger venue if needed. http://summit2011.singinst.org.au/ Speakers and subjects include: * David Chalmers Leading Philosopher of Consciousness ?The Singularity ? A Philosophical Analysis? * Lawrence Krauss - Leading physicist and best-selling author of "The Physics of Star Trek" - ?The Future of Life in the Universe? * Ben Goertzel - Renowned AI researcher and leader of the OpenCog project ? ?AI Roadmaps? * Steve Omohundro - Renowned AI researcher - ?Minds Making Minds: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity? * Ray Jarvis ? ?The Envy of Roboticists - the Future of AI in the Material World? * Alan H?jek ? ?A Plea for the Improbable? * Ian Robinson ? ?Rationality & Transhumanism? * Kevin B. Korb ? ?Bayesian Artificial Intelligence? * Ben Goertzel Leading AI researcher ? ?Artificial General Intelligence? * James Newton-Thomas Machine Intelligence Engineer ? ?Advances in Science and Technology? * Burkard Polster ? "The Problem With Probability" * David Dowe - Artificial Intelligence - ?AI and Solomonoff Induction? * and many more... This conference is brought to you by Humanity+ @ Melbourne (Victoria, Australia). Humanity+ explores how society might use and profit from a variety of creative and innovative thought. Join in an exciting weekend as we explore the surprising future. See you there! And please feel free to pass this on. It is hypothesised that Machines will out think humans before mid century. Professor Hugo de Garis says in History Channel's documentary Prophets of Doom "It is only a question of time now before humanity can build artificial brains that are far more intelligent than human beings. So this is a huge issue that will eclipse any other human issue this century...I call this 'Species dominance'." Although this sounds like science fiction, lately ?The Singularity? been taken this very seriously. This year it has made the cover of Time Magazine, sprouting like mushrooms in news reports in the aftermath of IBMs AI ?Watson? winning at quiz show Jeopardy, and the topic of feature and TV documentaries (i.e. 'Transcendent Man'). You have people like Larry Page (CEO of Google), Steve Wozniak (Co-founder of Apple) and Justin Rattner (CTO of Intel) taking an interest in this stuff, prominent public figures willing to associate their names with the Singularity, the idea is moving away from the fringes, and if it is not mainstream yet, then it is definitely a lot closer. "If you go back 500 years, not much happened in a century. Now a lot happens in 6 months." says Ray Kurzweil in documentary Transcendent Man. "Technology feeds on itself and it gets faster and faster, it's going to continue, and in about 40 years it is going to become so fast, the pace of change is going to be so astonishingly quick that you won't be able to follow it, unless, you enhance your own intelligence by merging with the intelligent technology we have created." This conference will challenge and enhance your view of the future. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20110724/8afb094c/attachment.html From legi at igi.tugraz.at Wed Jul 27 12:48:03 2011 From: legi at igi.tugraz.at (Legenstein Robert) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:48:03 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: Branch-specific plasticity enables self-organization of nonlinear computation in single neurons Message-ID: <4E304143.6050604@igi.tugraz.at> The paper *Branch-specific plasticity enables self-organization of nonlinear computation in single neurons* by Robert Legenstein and Wolfgang Maass has been published in /The Journal of Neuroscience/ and is available online at http://www.jneurosci.org/content/31/30/10787.full.pdf+html In this article, we investigate how experimentally observed plasticity mechanisms, such as depolarization-dependent STDP and branch-strength potentiation, could be integrated to self-organize nonlinear neural computations with dendritic spikes. /Abstract:/ It has been conjectured that nonlinear processing in dendritic branches endows individual neurons with the capability to perform complex computational operations that are needed in order to solve for example the binding problem. However, it is not clear how single neurons could acquire such functionality in a self-organized manner, since most theoretical studies of synaptic plasticity and learning concentrate on neuron models without nonlinear dendritic properties. In the meantime, a complex picture of information processing with dendritic spikes and a variety of plasticity mechanisms in single neurons has emerged from experiments. In particular, new experimental data on dendritic branch strength potentiation in rat hippocampus have not yet been incorporated into such models. In this article, we investigate how experimentally observed plasticity mechanisms, such as depolarization-dependent STDP and branch-strength potentiation could be integrated to self-organize nonlinear neural computations with dendritic spikes. We provide a mathematical proof that in a simplified setup these plasticity mechanisms induce a competition between dendritic branches, a novel concept in the analysis of single neuron adaptivity. We show via computer simulations that such dendritic competition enables a single neuron to become member of several neuronal ensembles, and to acquire nonlinear computational capabilities, such as for example the capability to bind multiple input features. Hence our results suggest that nonlinear neural computation may self-organize in single neurons through the interaction of local synaptic and dendritic plasticity mechanisms. -- ---------------------------------------- Dr. Robert Legenstein Institut f?r Grundlagen der Informationsverarbeitung Technische Universit?t Graz Inffeldgasse 16b/I, 8010 Graz, Austria ++43/316/873-5824 ---------------------------------- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20110727/4f06cb42/attachment-0001.html From jose at psychology.rutgers.edu Thu Jul 28 07:17:58 2011 From: jose at psychology.rutgers.edu (Stephen Jose Hanson) Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:17:58 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: ASSISTANT PROFESSOR- Rutgers University- RUBIC Message-ID: <1311851878.1901.157.camel@max> ASSISTANT PROFESSOR: The Psychology Department at Rutgers-Newark invites applications for a tenure track assistant professor position in cognitive neuroscience with expertise in fMRI methodology for the study of cognitive processes such as memory, learning, decision making, language, problem solving etc. Applicants taking a computational or developmental approach to the study of cognitive function are welcome to apply. Applicants will have access to the new Rutgers University Brain Imaging Center (RUBIC; SIEMENS 3T TRIO; http://rubic.rutgers.edu). This position requires a Ph.D. in Psychology, Neuroscience, or related field. Highest priority will be given to applicants who demonstrate excellence in teaching at the graduate and undergraduate levels, provide research mentorship to students, and conduct fundable research. See our site: www.psych.rutgers.edu. Applicants should submit a vitae, statement of research and teaching interests, pre/re-prints, and 3 letters of recommendation to: Search Committee, Psychology Dept., Rutgers University, 101 Warren St., Newark, NJ 07102. We will give priority to applications received by October 15, 2011 but will continue the search until the position is filled. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, Rutgers-Newark actively encourages applications from minorities, women, and other underrepresented groups. -- Stephen Jos? Hanson Professor Psychology Department Rutgers University Director RUBIC (Rutgers Brain Imaging Center) Director RUMBA (Rutgers Brain/Mind Analysis-NK) Member of Cognitive Science Center (NB) Information Science, NJIT (NK) email: jose at psychology.rutgers.edu web: psychology.rutgers.edu/~jose lab: www.rumba.rutgers.edu fax: 866-434-7959 voice: 973-353-5440 x 1412 From rsrinivasan02 at hotmail.com Thu Jul 28 07:10:26 2011 From: rsrinivasan02 at hotmail.com (R. Srinivasan) Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 04:10:26 -0700 Subject: Connectionists: Job Opening @ UCLA: Postdoctoral researcher in algorithms for brain-computer interface technology Message-ID: Postdoc position at UCLA that may be of interest to some of you.. Thanks, Ram ---------------------------------------Job Opening @ UCLA: Postdoctoral researcher in algorithms for brain-computer interface technology Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position in the Neural Signal Processing Laboratory, Department of Radiology, University of California Los Angeles ( www.nsplab.org ). Extensive prior research involving one or more of the following areas will be helpful: inference, stochastic control, statistics, reinforcement learning, machine learning, computer graphics, robotics. To receive an application, email join at nsplab.org , preferably before August 5, 2011. Include your CV, department affiliation and earliest available start date. Details: What are the fundamental algorithmic breakthroughs needed to accelerate the rise of machines that users control through neural signals from their normal or damaged brain? Through this opportunity, a highly ambitious postdoctoral researcher will develop a component of their research program in neural signal processing. This research incorporates the full design cycle: from rigorous mathematical derivation to validation in human studies. For more information, contact: Lakshminarayan Srinivasan, MD, PhDPrincipal InvestigatorNeural Signal Processing LaboratoryUCLA School of Medicinels2 at nsplab.orghttp://www.nsplab.org/srinivasan.html -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20110728/7c2ef227/attachment.html From yunfu at buffalo.edu Thu Jul 28 10:13:41 2011 From: yunfu at buffalo.edu (Yun (Raymond) Fu) Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:13:41 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship position at SUNY Buffalo In-Reply-To: <4E2D82B1.5080709@buffalo.edu> References: <4E0B41A0.40903@buffalo.edu> <4E28777A.3030107@buffalo.edu> <4E28E955.4030603@buffalo.edu> <4E28EADC.5060209@buffalo.edu> <4E296850.7090605@buffalo.edu> <4E2D82B1.5080709@buffalo.edu> Message-ID: <4E316E95.6060902@buffalo.edu> PostDoc Position: IC Postdoctoral Fellowship program. See http://www.icpostdoc.org for more information. Research Area: Cognitive or computational neuroscience, Computer Vision Project Description: Applications are invited for an open Postdoctoral Fellow Research Scientist position at SUNY at Buffalo, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, in the area of computer vision, machine learning and social media analysis. Qualified candidates must have a Ph.D. in related areas with outstanding research record and experience. The grant support will be 2 to 3 years. Successful candidates will conduct basic research and interact with the principal investigator, graduate students, and collaborators. The Computer Science department at SUNY Buffalo is among the oldest CS departments nationwide with a strong focus on cognitive or computational neuroscience, computer vision, pattern recognition, smart environments, and machine learning. See http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/ for more information. Requirements: A highly qualified U.S. citizen who has recently graduated (or will be graduating by the fellowship start date) from an accredited Ph.D. program within the last five years and is interested in working as a Postdoctoral Fellow in SUNY at Buffalo, Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Salary is sufficiently competitive. If you are interested in joining this research project as a Postdoctoral Fellow, please contact: Yun (Raymond) Fu, Principal Investigator Department of Computer Science and Engineering State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo 201 Bell Hall Buffalo, NY 14260-2000, USA Ph: +1 (716) 645 2670 Email: yunfu at buffalo.edu Web: http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~yunfu/ -- Yun (Raymond) Fu Dr. and Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science and Engineering State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo 201 Bell Hall Buffalo, NY 14260-2000, USA Ph: +1 (716) 645 2670 Email: yunfu at buffalo.edu Web: http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~yunfu/