Connectionists: 16th ICCNS conference: Call for Abstracts and Confirmed Invited Speakers

Wed Nov 16 09:52:41 EST 2011

SIXTEENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
ON COGNITIVE AND NEURAL SYSTEMS

May 30 – June 1, 2012

Boston University
677 Beacon Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02215 USA
http://cns.bu.edu/cns-meeting/conference.html

Sponsored by the Boston University
Center for Adaptive Systems,
Center for Computational Neuroscience and Neural Technology (CompNet),
and
Center of Excellence for Learning in Education, Science,
and Technology (CELEST)
with financial support from the National Science Foundation

This interdisciplinary conference is attended each year by approximately 300 people from 30 countries around the world. As in previous years, the conference will focus on solutions to the questions:

HOW DOES THE BRAIN CONTROL BEHAVIOR?

HOW CAN TECHNOLOGY EMULATE BIOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE?

The conference is aimed at researchers and students of computational neuroscience, cognitive science, neural networks, neuromorphic engineering, and artificial intelligence. It includes invited lectures and contributed lectures and posters by experts on the biology and technology of how the brain and other intelligent systems adapt to a changing world. The conference is particularly interested in exploring how the brain and biologically-inspired algorithms and systems in engineering and technology can learn.  Single-track oral and poster sessions enable all presented work to be highly visible. Three-hour poster sessions with no conflicting events will be held on two of the conference days. Posters will be up all day, and can also be viewed during breaks in the talk schedule.

CONFIRMED INVITED SPEAKERS
Martin Banks (University of California, Berkeley)
Combining depth information from disparity and blur
Helen Barbas (Boston University) [Plenary Speaker]
Prefrontal pathways and flexible behavior
Nathaniel Daw (New York University)
Reinforcement learning: Beyond reinforcement
Paul Glimcher (New York University)
The emerging standard model of human decision-making
Stephen Grossberg (Boston University) [Plenary Speaker]
Social cognition: How do children learn to follow gaze, share joint attention, imitate their teachers, and use tools during social interactions?
Lori Holt (Carnegie Mellon University)
Using speech to listen in on auditory processing
Margaret Livingstone (Harvard Medical School)
Why do we have category specific domains and what good are they?
Zhong-Lin Lu (Ohio State University)
Functions and mechanisms of perceptual learning
Christopher Pack (McGill University)
Short-term plasticity of receptive fields and functional connectivity in primate visual cortex
Veit Stuphorn (Johns Hopkins University)
The role of the Supplementary Eye Field in value-based decision-making
Jeffrey Taube (Dartmouth College)
Learning and memory in the head direction cell circuit

CELEST WORKSHOP ON “BUILDING AUTONOMOUS ROBOTS”
Gary Bradski (Willow Garage)
Perception tools and systems for autonomous robots
Stefano Fusi (Columbia University)
The importance of conjunctive neural representations in high cognitive functions
Jeff Krichmar (University of California, Irvine)
Neuromorphic and brain-based robots  
Greg Snider (HP Labs)
Inference and learning with dynamic fields
Max Versace (Boston University)
Intelligent machines or bust

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

Session Topics:
* vision
* image understanding        
* audition                   
* speech and language       
* unsupervised learning       
* supervised learning
* reinforcement and emotion
* sensory-motor control
* cognition, planning, and attention
* spatial mapping and navigation                                       
* object recognition
* neural circuit models
* neural system models
* mathematics of neural systems
* robotics
* hybrid systems (fuzzy, evolutionary, digital)
* neuromorphic VLSI
* industrial applications
* other

Contributed abstracts must be received, in English, by January 31, 2012. Email notification of acceptance will be provided by February 29, 2012.  A meeting registration fee must accompany each abstract. The fee will be refunded if the abstract is not accepted for presentation. Fees of accepted abstracts will be returned upon written request only until April 13, 2012.

Abstracts must not exceed one 8.5"x11" page in length, with 1" margins on top, bottom, and both sides in a single-column format with a font of 10 points or larger. The title, authors, affiliations, surface, and email addresses should begin each abstract. A separate cover letter should include the abstract title; name and contact information for corresponding and presenting authors; requested preference for oral or poster presentation; and a first and second choice from the topics above, including whether it is biological (B) or technological (T) work [Example: first choice: vision (T); second choice: neural system models (B)].

Contributed talks will be 15 minutes long. Posters will be displayed for a full day. Overhead and computer projector facilities will be available for talks. Accepted abstracts will be printed in the conference proceedings volume. No extended paper will be required.

Abstracts should be submitted electronically as Word files to cindy at bu.edu using the phrase “16th ICCNS abstract submission” in the subject line or as paper hard copy (four copies of the abstract with one copy of the cover letter and the registration form) to Cynthia Bradford, Boston University, 677 Beacon Street,Boston MA 02215 USA. Fax submissions of the abstract will not be accepted.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Early registration is recommended using the registration form below. Student registrations must be accompanied by a letter of verification from a department chairperson or faculty/research advisor.

REGISTRATION FORM
Sixteenth International Conference on Cognitive and Neural Systems
May 30 – June 1, 2012
Boston University
677 Beacon Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02215 USA
Fax: +1 617 353 7755

Mr/Ms/Dr/Prof:_____________________________________________________

Affiliation:_________________________________________________________

Address:__________________________________________________________

City, State, Postal Code:______________________________________________

Phone and Fax:_____________________________________________________

Email:____________________________________________________________

The registration fee includes a copy of the conference proceedings volume, a reception on Friday night, and 3 coffee breaks each day.

CHECK ONE:
(  ) $135 Conference (Regular)                  
(  )   $85 Conference (Student)       

METHOD OF PAYMENT:
[   ] Enclosed is a check made payable to "Boston University"
Checks must be made payable in US dollars and issued by a US correspondent bank. Each registrant is responsible for any and all bank charges.

[   ] I wish to pay by credit card
      (MasterCard, Visa, or Discover Card only)

Name as it appears on the card:___________________________________________

Type of card: _____________________________ Expiration date:________________

Account number: _______________________________________________________

Signature:____________________________________________________________

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