From mjaz at mit.edu Fri May 1 08:47:49 2015 From: mjaz at mit.edu (Mehrdad Jazayeri) Date: Fri, 1 May 2015 12:47:49 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoc position, temporal coordination in the basal ganglia and cortex In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <2B344756-A24B-4649-BB75-E94B37ADA905@mit.edu> May 1, 2015 Postdoctoral position The neural basis of interval timing and temporal coordination in the basal ganglia and cortex Jazayeri lab MIT The project combines computational modeling with in-vivo electrophysiology and optogenetics to understand the neural basis of interval timing and temporal coordination in neural circuits connecting higher cortical areas to the basal ganglia. The ideal candidate will have experience in awake, behaving non-human primate electrophysiology with a strong interest in computational models of behavior. Candidates with no prior experience with in-vivo electrophysiology will not be considered. Applicants should submit a CV, a 1-page description of their relevant background and expertise, a 1-page research statement of interest with respect to the project, and names and email addresses of three referees. To apply or ask questions, please contact Mehrdad Jazayeri at MIT (mjaz at mit.edu). Mehrdad Jazayeri, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences Investigator, McGovern Institute for Brain Research Email: mjaz at mit.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: smime.p7s Type: application/pkcs7-signature Size: 1584 bytes Desc: not available URL: From torbjorn.dahl at plymouth.ac.uk Fri May 1 10:30:08 2015 From: torbjorn.dahl at plymouth.ac.uk (Torbjorn Dahl) Date: Fri, 1 May 2015 14:30:08 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: [jobs] PhD opportunity on ANNs for reinforcement learning, Plymouth, UK In-Reply-To: <3790E74F6D35B244B3AC69267D8A80250D46A667@TIS105.uopnet.plymouth.ac.uk> References: <3790E74F6D35B244B3AC69267D8A80250D46A667@TIS105.uopnet.plymouth.ac.uk> Message-ID: <3790E74F6D35B244B3AC69267D8A80250D46A681@TIS105.uopnet.plymouth.ac.uk> We are looking for a PhD student on ANNs for reinforcement learning (Topic 2: Learning and Planning with Emergent Hierarchical Representations and Decaying Short-Term Memory) at the Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems at the University of Plymouth, UK. A brief description of the project is included below. The application deadline is May 29th, 12noon, UK time. The project starts October 1st. Further details on the project, funding and the application procedure can be found at: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/student-life/your-studies/the-graduate-school/phd-studentship-at-the-centre-for-robotics-and-neural-systems Interested candidates are invited to contact the director of studies for an informal consultation. Best regards, Torbjorn Dahl ____________________________________________________ Torbj?rn S. DAHL, MEng, ACGI, PhD Lecturer in Software Engineering Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems School of Computing and Mathematics, Plymouth University Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK ____________________________________________________ Abstract This project will develop a new generation of artificial neural networks for reinforcement learning (RL), significantly increasing the applicability of RL in areas such as robotics. The new algorithms will make use of two central features of biological memory to limit their space and time requirements; emergent hierarchical representations and decaying short-term memory (STM). The algorithms developed will use hierarchical memory structures that grow according to a given RL problem. The hierarchical structures will be made from multiple Kohonen networks and will provide the algorithms? long-term memory (LTM) capabilities. The Kohonen networks will be augmented with decaying node activation values providing explicit STM capabilities within a connectionist framework. The main encoding mechanism in the new algorithms uses the decaying activation values (STM) of one network layer as input to update the weights (LTM) of other layers. This architecture has allowed us to develop new, more efficient, mechanisms for key RL functions including hidden state identification and future reward estimation. We have already demonstrated some of these mechanisms using analytical methods and lossless memory encoding (Pierris and Dahl, 2014). This project will build on those results to produce true connectionist algorithms that can be parallelised, e.g., using Cuda technology. The work will consider traditional RL benchmarks as well as robot learning problems and will use the University of Plymouth?s Nao or iCub humanoid robots. Related reference Pierris G. and Dahl T. S., Humanoid Tactile Gesture Production using a Hierarchical SOM-based Encoding. IEEE Transactions on Autonomous Mental Development, 6(2):153-167, 2014. ________________________________ [http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/images/email_footer.gif] This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient then copying, distribution or other use of the information contained is strictly prohibited and you should not rely on it. If you have received this email in error please let the sender know immediately and delete it from your system(s). Internet emails are not necessarily secure. While we take every care, Plymouth University accepts no responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan emails and their attachments. Plymouth University does not accept responsibility for any changes made after it was sent. Nothing in this email or its attachments constitutes an order for goods or services unless accompanied by an official order form. From sethu.vijayakumar at ed.ac.uk Mon May 4 11:29:27 2015 From: sethu.vijayakumar at ed.ac.uk (Sethu Vijayakumar) Date: Mon, 04 May 2015 16:29:27 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Robotics Faculty Position: Tenured: University of Edinburgh, UK (Application Deadline: June 02, 2015) In-Reply-To: <5547579B.4050509@ed.ac.uk> References: <5547579B.4050509@ed.ac.uk> Message-ID: <55479057.9030401@ed.ac.uk> University of Edinburgh Faculty Hire in Robotics (Reader/Lecturer) ------------------------------------------------------------------ The School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh is recruiting a tenured faculty in Robotics and Control (Keywords: Adaptive Control, Humanoids, Locomotion, High DOF Planning, Machine Learning) -- at Lecturer (US equivalent Assistant Professorship - but with tenure) or where appropriate, at Reader (Associate Professorship) level. Applications are invited from leading researchers and rising stars with a demonstrated track history of world class publications and hands-on experience with real world platforms. We have made significant investments in establishing the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics (www.edinburgh-robotics.org) and the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Robotics and Autonomous Systems, with flagship hardware such as the NASA-UoE Valkyrie Humanoid Platform (http://valkyrie.inf.ed.ac.uk/) and over 65 fully funded PhD studentships in Robotics over the next 8 years. We are particularly keen on candidates who can exploit these unique facilities (e.g, with a strong interest in real-time control on humanoid platforms) and complement our existing strengths. Edinburgh is an exciting place to live and work. There is a strong tradition of excellence and leadership, with the School of Informatics being consistently ranked as one of the top departments in the country. Please follow the links for more details. University of Edinburgh: www.ed.ac.uk School of Informatics: www.inf.ed.ac.uk IPAB: www.ipab.inf.ed.ac.uk Deadline for application: June 02, 2015 Interviews: Late June - early July 2015 More details and application procedure from: http://goo.gl/U9TWNq Informal enquiries may be addressed to: Prof. Sethu Vijayakumar (sethu.vijayakumar at ed.ac.uk ) -- ------------------------------------------------------------------ Professor Sethu Vijayakumar FRSE Personal Chair in Robotics Director, Edinburgh Centre for Robotics [edinburgh-robotics.org] Director, IPAB, School of Informatics, The University of Edinburgh 1.28 Informatics Forum, 10 Crichton Street, Edinburgh EH8 9AB, UK URL: http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/svijayak Ph: +44(0)131 651 3444 SLMC Research Group URL: http://www.ipab.informatics.ed.ac.uk/slmc ------------------------------------------------------------------ Adjunct Faculty, Department of Computer Science University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA 90089-0781 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Microsoft Research & Royal Academy of Engg. Senior Research Fellow ------------------------------------------------------------------ The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. From dwang at cse.ohio-state.edu Mon May 4 23:30:48 2015 From: dwang at cse.ohio-state.edu (DeLiang Wang) Date: Mon, 4 May 2015 23:30:48 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: NEURAL NETWORKS, May 2015 Message-ID: <55483968.7030508@cse.ohio-state.edu> Neural Networks - Volume 65, May 2015 http://www.journals.elsevier.com/neural-networks Computational cognitive models of spatial memory in navigation space: A review Tamas Madl, Ke Chen, Daniela Montaldi, Robert Trappl A new class of multi-stable neural networks: Stability analysis and learning process E. Bavafaye Haghighi, G. Palm, M. Rahmati, M.J. Yazdanpanah Attention modeled as information in learning multisensory integration Johannes Bauer, Sven Magg, Stefan Wermter Enhanced low-rank representation via sparse manifold adaption for semi-supervised learning Yong Peng, Bao-Liang Lu, Suhang Wang Robust L1-norm two-dimensional linear discriminant analysis Chun-Na Li, Yuan-Hai Shao, Nai-Yang Deng Local Rademacher Complexity: Sharper risk bounds with and without unlabeled samples Luca Oneto, Alessandro Ghio, Sandro Ridella, Davide Anguita Multistability of neural networks with discontinuous non-monotonic piecewise linear activation functions and time-varying delays Xiaobing Nie, Wei Xing Zheng p'th moment exponential stochastic synchronization of coupled memristor-based neural networks with mixed delays via delayed impulsive control Xinsong Yang, Jinde Cao, Jianlong Qiu New exponential synchronization criteria for time-varying delayed neural networks with discontinuous activations Zuowei Cai, Lihong Huang, Lingling Zhang From lpulina at uniss.it Mon May 4 09:12:11 2015 From: lpulina at uniss.it (Luca Pulina) Date: Mon, 04 May 2015 15:12:11 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: RR 2015 Doctoral Consortium - Second Call for Papers Message-ID: <5547702B.40006@uniss.it> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From simone.seeger at zi-mannheim.de Mon May 4 03:00:07 2015 From: simone.seeger at zi-mannheim.de (Seeger, Simone) Date: Mon, 4 May 2015 07:00:07 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Bernstein Conference 2015: Registration is open Message-ID: <68B5BBF569FEF84891D3AAB4D3141E457F16934B@ZIMAIL1.Zi.local> BERNSTEIN CONFERENCE 2015 in Heidelberg Registration is open now! Please register here. Early registration deadline: July 24, 2015 **************************************************************************** Satellite Workshops September 14, 2015 Main Conference September 15-17, 2015 **************************************************************************** The Bernstein Conference has become the largest annual Computational Neuroscience Conference in Europe and now regularly attracts more than 500 international participants. This year, the Conference is organized by the Bernstein Center Heidelberg-Mannheim and will take place in Heidelberg on September 15-17, 2015. In addition, there will be a series of pre-conference satellite workshops on September 14, 2015. The Bernstein Conference is a single-track conference, covering all aspects of Computational Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, and sessions for poster presentations are an integral part of the conference. The Bernstein conference will also feature a series of satellite workshops on September 14, 2015. The goal is to provide an informal forum for the discussion of timely research questions and challenges. For more information on the conference, please visit: http://www.bernstein-conference.de CONFERENCE DATE AND VENUE: Satellite Workshops September 14, 2015 Main Conference September 15-17, 2015 Venue: Neue Universit?t, Grabengasse 3-5, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany PHD STUDENT EVENT: September 17-18, 2015 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: Peter Bastian Andreas Draguhn Daniel Durstewitz Martin Gerchen Joachim Hass Elke Jochum Peter Kirsch Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg Christoph Schuster Simone Seeger We look forward to seeing you in Heidelberg in September! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From n.lepora at sheffield.ac.uk Tue May 5 06:14:19 2015 From: n.lepora at sheffield.ac.uk (Nathan F Lepora) Date: Tue, 5 May 2015 11:14:19 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: [meetings] Living Machines IV: Call for Participation, Exhibits, and Late Breaking Abstracts Message-ID: Living Machines IV: The 4th International Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems 28th to 31st July 2015 http://csnetwork.eu/livingmachines/conf2015 To be hosted at La Pedrera, Barcelona, Spain In association with the Universitat Pompeu Fabra PARTICIPATION IN THE LM2015 CONFERENCE Registration for LM2015 is now open at http://csnetwork.eu/livingmachines/conf2015/registration Registration prices are 350/400/200 (CSN Members/non-members/students) until July 15 and 400/500/250 for late registration Student authors of accepted papers will be eligible to apply for a limited number of LM2015 travel bursaries (see living-machines at sheffield.ac.uk for details). Late July is a busy time in Barcelona, we recommend that conference delegates book their accommodation soon. Suggestions for conference accommodation are http://csnetwork.eu/livingmachines/conf2015/accommodation LM2015 SATELLITE EVENTS We have scheduled to the following satellite events (see http://csnetwork.eu/livingmachines/conf2015/satelliteevents for details). The list of workshops is: * The Robot Self * Nature Inspired Manufacturing * How to Practice Bio Inspired Design More details at http://csnetwork.eu/livingmachines/conf2015/workshops Satellites will be hosted at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra campus in PobleNou http://www.upf.edu/campus/. Please register for satellite events when you register for the main conference event. It is possible to register for a satellite event and not attend the the main conference. Please contact the event organisers for further information about satellite events. EXHIBITS Submissions are invited for the LM2015 exhibition to feature working biomimetic or biohybrid systems and biomimetic/biohybrid art. Authors of conference papers are particularly encouraged to submit exhibit proposals, however, the call for exhibits is open to all. The title and author list of all accepted exhibits will appear in the LM2015 programme (in print and online), and there will be a prize for the best LM2015 exhibit. At least one person is expected to register for the conference to present the exhibit (though this can be the same person who presents and accepted paper). In general, LM2015 cannot help financially with the cost of bringing exhibits to the conference, however, we are able to offer advice and can potentially provide storage, or accept postal delivery, of exhibit material. Your 1-page exhibit description should include: title (max. 150 characters), author list, lead author contact information, a 150-250 word description, a photograph if possible. Please specify if your exhibit requires any of the following: a table, a poster board, electric power. Please let us know if you have any additional requirements, we will do our best to accommodate reasonable requests. Send your 1-page LM2015 exhibit description to info.csnetwork at upf.edu by June 1st. LATE-BREAKING ABSTRACTS The call for full papers and extended abstracts has now closed, however, we are still accepting late-breaking abstracts (LBAs) for poster presentation only. LBAs will be too late to appear in the LM2015 proceedings, but will instead be published online, with the title and author list in the LM2015 programme (in print and online). LBAs will also be eligible for the LM2015 best poster prize. At least one author of an LBA must register as a LM2015 conference delegate. Authors of LBAs who have student status will be eligible to apply for LM2015 travel bursaries. LBAs should be a maximum of one A4 page and include a title (max. 140 chars), author list, contact information for the lead author, a 150-250 word description, up to 6 key-words. A figure or photo can also be included. Please send your 1-page LM2015 late-breaking abstract to Stuart Wilson s.p.wilson at sheffield.ac.uk by July 1st, 2015 From irina.illina at loria.fr Tue May 5 08:07:05 2015 From: irina.illina at loria.fr (Irina Illina) Date: Tue, 5 May 2015 14:07:05 +0200 (CEST) Subject: Connectionists: post-doc position on Deep Neural Network Language Models, LORIA/INRIA France In-Reply-To: <1141013105.4359808.1430825792284.JavaMail.zimbra@loria.fr> References: <834855737.2848151.1430388311014.JavaMail.zimbra@loria.fr> <341886100.2863296.1430391319236.JavaMail.zimbra@loria.fr> <1141013105.4359808.1430825792284.JavaMail.zimbra@loria.fr> Message-ID: <588523460.4373931.1430827625483.JavaMail.zimbra@loria.fr> Post-doc position at LORIA (Nancy, France) Automatic speech recognition: Deep Neural Network for L anguage M odel Framework of ANR project ContNomina The technologies involved in information retrieval in large audio/video databases are often based on the analysis of large, but closed, corpora, and on machine learning techniques and statistical modeling of the written and spoken language. The effectiveness of these approaches is now widely acknowledged, but they nevertheless have major flaws, particularly for what concern proper names, that are crucial for the interpretation of the content. In the context of diachronic data (data which change over time) new proper names appear constantly requiring dynamic updates of the lexicons and language models used by the speech recognition system. As a result, the ANR project ContNomina (2013-2017) focuses on the problem of proper names in automatic audio processing systems by exploiting in the most efficient way the context of the processed documents. To do this, the post-doc student will address the contextualization of the recognition module through the dynamic adjustment of the language model in order to make it more accurate. Post-doc subject Deep Neural Network have become a key component of modern automatic speech recognition systems. The language model of our recognition system is based on a neural network learned from a large corpus of text. The problem is to estimate the probability of a new proper name depending on its context. Several tracks will be explored: adapting the language model, using a class model or studying the notion of analogy. Our team has developed a fully automatic system for speech recognition to transcribe a radio broadcast from the corresponding audio file. The post-doc will develop a new module whose function is to integrate new proper names in the language model. Required skills A PhD in signal processing or in computer sciences , be familiar with the tools for automatic speech recognition, background in statistics and computer program skills (??C, object-oriented programming and Perl). Post-doc duration: 12 months, start during the 2015 (these is some flexibility) Localization and contacts: Loria laboratory, Speech team , Nancy, France i rina.illina at loria.fr dominique.fohr at loria.fr georges.linares at univ-avignon.fr Candidates should email a letter of application, a detailed CV with a list of publications and diploma Irina Illina -- Associate Professor Lorraine University LORIA-INRIA office C147 Building C 615 rue du Jardin Botanique 54600 Villers-les-Nancy Cedex Tel:+ 33 3 54 95 84 90 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From morency at cs.cmu.edu Tue May 5 08:48:53 2015 From: morency at cs.cmu.edu (Louis-Philippe Morency) Date: Tue, 5 May 2015 08:48:53 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: ICMI 2015 - Final Call for Papers Message-ID: <081339BF5B085646911B69780926302C068636309DF6@EXCH-MB-1.srv.cs.cmu.edu> ======================================================================================================== ACM International Conference on Multimodal Interaction (ICMI 2015) November 9-13, 2015, Seattle, WA, USA http://icmi.acm.org/2015/ Final Call for Papers Long and Short Paper submission website now open (Deadline: May 15,2015): http://precisionconference.com/~icmi15a ======================================================================================================== ICMI is the premier international forum for multidisciplinary research on multimodal interaction and multimodal interfaces. The conference focuses on theoretical and empirical foundations, component technologies, and combined multimodal processing techniques that define the field of multimodal interaction analysis, interface design, and integrative, multimodal system development. ICMI'2015 will take place between November 9th and 13th at Motif Hotel in Seattle (USA). The main conference is single-track and includes: keynote speakers, technical full and short papers (including oral and poster presentations), special sessions, demonstrations, exhibits and doctoral spotlight papers. The conference will also feature workshops and grand challenges. The social program will include an opportunity to visit Microsoft Research and the Microsoft Envisioning Center on Nov 9th. The proceedings of ICMI'2015 will be published by ACM as part of their series of International Conference Proceedings. Calls for Contributions (chronological order): * Workshop Proposals. Deadline: May 8, 2015 * Long and Short Papers. Deadline: May 15, 2015, website now open for submissions (http://precisionconference.com/~icmi15a) (http://icmi.acm.org/2015/index.php?id=cfp) * Doctoral Consortium Papers. Deadline: July 14, 2015 (http://icmi.acm.org/2015/index.php?id=cfdc) * Demonstration Proposals. Deadline: August 14, 2015 * Exhibit Proposals. Deadline: September 4, 2015 (http://icmi.acm.org/2015/index.php?id=cfd) TOPICS * Multimodal signal and interaction processing technologies - Multimodal signal processing, inference, and input fusion - Combinations of signals and semantic interpretations - Multimodal output planning and coordination - Machine learning approaches for multimodal signals * Multimodal models for human-human and human-machine interaction - Multimodal models for human communication dynamics - Models for physically situated human-robot/computer interaction - Models for multiparty, group and social interaction - Affective computing and interaction models - Models for long-term multimodal interaction * Multimodal data, evaluation and tools - Multimodal corpora, resources and tools - Evaluation methodologies, assessment and metrics - Multimodal annotation methodologies and coding schemes - Design issues, principles and best practices for multimodal interfaces * Multimodal systems and applications - Ambient intelligence, smart environments, augmented and virtual reality - Human-robot interaction and embodied conversational agents - Multimodal interfaces for internet-of-things - Meeting spaces and meeting analysis systems - Multimodal mobile applications - Healthcare and assistive technologies - Education and entertainment - Automotive user interfaces For more information, please visit the conference website: http://icmi.acm.org/2015/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From triesch at fias.uni-frankfurt.de Thu May 7 01:57:43 2015 From: triesch at fias.uni-frankfurt.de (Jochen Triesch) Date: Thu, 7 May 2015 07:57:43 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: Open Post-doc Position in Active Efficient Coding (AEC) Message-ID: <99DFB408-C94F-41C9-B444-B09E3C6DA218@fias.uni-frankfurt.de> We have an opening for a post-doc position in my lab (http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/de/neuro/triesch) at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) to explore the new area of active efficient coding (AEC), a recently formulated generalization of the efficient coding hypothesis to active perception. The basic idea of AEC is that sensory systems learn to use their motor degrees of freedom to contribute to the efficient encoding of sensory signals. Along these lines, we have developed computational models for the self-calibration of active stereo and motion vision [1,2,3]. These models simultaneously learn a sensory representation with sparse coding approaches and controllers for their eye movements through reinforcement learning. Both learning components aim to maximize the overall coding efficiency of the system, which leads to fully self-calibrating sensory-motor loops for active stereo vision (dispartiy tuning and vergence control) and motion vision (motion tuning and pursuit movements). To the best of our knowledge, these models are the first to demonstrate how such self-calibration can emerge from a generic efficient coding objective. We have also validated the approach on robots such as the iCub (http://www.icub.org). The work will be performed in a stimulating interdisciplinary environment with ample opportunities for collaboration with neuromorphic engineers, neuroscientists, roboticists, psychologists, and clinicians across the globe. A special emphasis will be on better understanding how and why such self-calibration can go awry in clinical conditions such as strabism and amblyopia. We are seeking an outstanding and highly motivated post-doc for this project. Applicants should have obtained a PhD in Computational Neuroscience or a closely related field. The ideal candidate will have excellent programming skills (Matlab, Python, C/C++), very good analytic skills, and a broad knowledge of computational neuroscience, machine learning, computer vision, robotics, signal processing and statistics. Furthermore, specific expertise in visual neuroscience, sparse coding models, and reinforcement learning are requested. Experience with programming Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) is a plus. The position can be filled immediately, and lasts for 2 years. Extension to a third year is possible. The lab has an excellent track record of post-doctoral training with 6 out 11 post-docs having obtained professorships or other permanent academic posts directly after their time in the lab. The Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies is a research institution dedicated to fundamental theoretical research in various areas of science. It is embedded into Frankfurt's recently established natural science research campus. Frankfurt itself is the hub of one of the most vibrant metropolitan areas in Europe. Apart from its strong economic and financial sides, it boasts a rich culture and arts community and repeatedly earns highest rankings in worldwide surveys of quality of living. Applications should include a brief statement of research interests, CV and contact information for at least two references. Send applications to application at fias.uni-frankfurt.de. Review of applications will begin immediately. Interviews can be arranged at the upcoming Vision Science Society meeting in St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA, May 13-18 by emailing triesch at fias.uni-frankfurt.de. [1] A Unified Model of the Joint Development of Disparity Selectivity and Vergence Control. Zhao Y, Rothkopf CA, Triesch J, Shi B. IEEE Int. Conf. on Development and Learning and Epigenetic Robotics (ICDL), 2012. (Paper of excellence award.) http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6400876 [2] Robust active binocular vision through intrinsically motivated learning L. Lonini, S. Forestier, C. Teuli?re, Y. Zhao, B. Shi, J. Triesch, frontiers in Neurorobotics, 2013. http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnbot.2013.00020/full [3] Self-calibrating smooth pursuit through active efficient coding C. Teuli?re, S. Forestier, L. Lonini, C. Zhang, Y. Zhao, B. Shi, J. Triesch, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 2014 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921889014002486 -- Prof. Dr. Jochen Triesch Johanna Quandt Research Professor Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/~triesch/ Tel: +49 (0)69 798-47531 Fax: +49 (0)69 798-47611 From Thomas_Serre at brown.edu Thu May 7 04:50:33 2015 From: Thomas_Serre at brown.edu (Thomas Serre) Date: Thu, 07 May 2015 08:50:33 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: =?utf-8?q?RA_position_=E2=80=93_Machine_vision_?= =?utf-8?q?=26_automated_behavioral_analysis_=E2=80=93_Brown_Univer?= =?utf-8?q?sity_=28Providence=2C_RI=29=2E?= Message-ID: Computational (Thomas Serre) and developmental (Dima Amso) labs in the Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, & Psychological Sciences are seeking an NIH-funded research assistant to work on the development of tools, including machine learning and computer vision, appropriate to examining naturalistic interactions in typical and atypical development. Candidates are expected to have solid background in computer vision and/or machine learning. Prior experience with depth sensors (kinect), tracking, object recognition and/or background subtraction algorithms would be a strong plus. An interest in development or cognitive science and applications of computer vision to the biological sciences would also be a plus but this is not a requirement for the position. The initial appointment is for 12 months, renewable for another year, and potentially longer depending on funding. The start date is negotiable though an early start is strongly preferred. Salary is commensurate with experience and is competitive. Requirements: Applicants are expected to have finished, or be about to finish a BS or MSc in computer science or related discipline. They must have a strong background in computer vision and/or machine learning and excellent programming skills (C/C++/Matlab/Python). Programming experience in CUDA and/or parallel computing would be a strong plus. Research groups: Our research groups are located within the Department of Cognitive Linguistic & Psychological sciences at Brown University. We maintain strong ties with the computer science, engineering and applied math departments as part of the Brain Institute. Through Brown?s Center for Computation and Visualization (https://www.ccv.brown.edu), our groups have access to a state-of-the-art computing facility with includes over 300K GPU cores and over 500 Teraflops of GPU computing power. Information about Dr. Serre and his research group can be found at http://serre-lab.clps.brown.edu. Information about Dr. Amso and her research group can be found at http://research.clps.brown.edu/dcnl. Application: Please send your applications by email to dima_amso at correct_university_name.edu and thomas_serre at correct_university_name.edu where correct_university_name should be replaced by ?brown'. Please include a brief statement of interests, a curriculum vita and contact details for 2-3 letters of reference (no letters required at this stage). There is no deadline for the application but applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as the position will be filled as soon as a suitable applicant is found. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From alessandro.dausilio at iit.it Thu May 7 12:08:18 2015 From: alessandro.dausilio at iit.it (Alessandro D'Ausilio) Date: Thu, 7 May 2015 18:08:18 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: [Jobs] PhD postitions at the Italian Institute of Technology Message-ID: <724571D5-1301-4D8D-913C-384482282532@iit.it> APOLOGIES FOR CROSS-POSTING! THANK YOU FOR SHARING AND FORWARDING! ******************************************************************************************************** ******************************************************************************************************** Three PhD positions are offered at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Science Department (RBCS). http://www.iit.it/rbcs ***Theme 5. Neural and motor bases of social interaction Tutors: Prof. Thierry Pozzo, Dr. Alberto Inuggi, Dr. Alessandro D?Ausilio ***Description: While progress has been made in the field of social neuroscience, the neural mechanisms underlying social interactions represent the ?dark matter? of cognition. We need to study real-time social encounters in a truly interactive manner, with the assumption that cognition is fundamentally different when we interact with others rather than merely observe them passively (Schilbach et al., 2013). In the classic motor control frame of reference, individuals can be conceived as proactively building models of their action and of their sensory consequence. During interaction, these sensorimotor models can be extended to the social space whereby the control signal becomes the negotiated behavior of other people (Wolpert et al., 2003). Here, we intend to map the brain activities responsible for the emergence of such a shared behavior. Recent research has employed the hyper- scanning technique consisting in the recording of brain activities from multiple participants engaged in artificial interactive tasks (Hasson et al., 2012). The current projects will go beyond current approaches by recording multimodal data of real face-to-face interaction between two subjects/agents recorded simultaneously. Recording will include Electroencephalographic (EEG), Electromyographic (EMG) and body motion kinematics (MoCap) data. The neural metrics of group collaboration will be extrapolated by calculating cortical connectivity indexes (Directed Transfer Function, Partial Directed Coherence), coherence factors among EEG, EMG and MoCap data and whole body movement features (Berret et al. 2009). This approach will allow the study of the neural and motor bases of social non-verbal interaction within a group of participants engaged in a collaborative realistic task. ***Requirements: The successful candidate will have a background in computer science or engineering, programming skills as well as a strong interest in cognitive neuroscience. Electroencephalographic and kinematic data analyses skills are a plus. ***References: 1. D.M. Wolpert, K. Doya, M. Kawato, A unifying computational framework for motor control and social interaction, Phil Trans Roy al Soc Lond Series B: Biol Sci 358, pp. 593?602, 2013 2. U. Hasson, A.A. Ghazanfar, B. Galantucci, S. Garrod, C. Keysers C., Brain-to-brain coupling: a mechanism for creating and sharing a social world. Trends Cognitive Sciences 16(2), pp. 114-121, 2012 3. L. Schilbach, B. Timmermans, V. Reddy, A. Costall, G. Bente, T. Schlicht, K. Vogeley Toward a second-person neuroscience, Behav Brain Sci 36, pp. 393-414, 2013 4. B. Berret, F. Bonnetblanc, C. Papaxanthis, T. Pozzo, Modular control of pointing beyond arm?s length, Journal of Neuroscience, 29, pp. 191-205, 2009 ***Contacts: thierry.pozzo at iit.it ; alberto.inuggi at iit.it ; alessandro.dausilio at iit.it ******************************************************************************************************** ***Theme 7. Augmented sensorimotor interaction ***Tutors: Dr. Alessandro D?Ausilio, Dr. Leonardo Badino, Prof. Luciano Fadiga Department: RBCS ***Description: The project starts from the assumption that human cultural and moral evolution can only be based on the development of efficient cooperation, and coherence among people. In fact, human perception, action and cognition are geared to enable successful coordination with others. The MNIlab devises computational methods to quantify the information flow between human body movements in small group of participants (Badino et al. 2014). In fact, body movement is the key channel for non-verbal communication (D?Ausilio et al., 2015). The successful candidate will work on the extension and consolidation of this methodology to different scenarios (i.e. small group behavior during meetings or sport activities) and the development of the analytical tools to extract in real-time the quantitative flow of sensorimotor communication (Granger Causality, Transfer Entropy, Cross-Recurrence Quantification Analysis). The research program will be complemented by basic motor neurophysiological research on behavioral coordination (D?Ausilio et al., 2015). All these aspects will be critical to implement the next generation of biologically inspired automatic sensorimotor communication recognition systems. These automatic systems will be essential to augment natural human-human coordination and promote the future of efficient human-robot interaction. ***Requirements: The successful candidate will have a background in computer science, engineering, computational neuroscience or experimental psychology. Programming skills as well as a strong motivation in bridging the gap between technology and neuroscience are necessary. Kinematic data analyses skills are a plus. ***References: 1. L. Badino, A. D?Ausilio, D. Glowinski, A. Camurri, L. Fadiga, Sensorimotor communication in professional quartets, Neuropsychologia, 55(1), pp. 98-104, 2014 2. A. D?Ausilio, G. Novembre, L. Fadiga, P.E. Keller, What can music tell us about social interaction?, Trends Cognitive Sciences, 19(3), pp. 111-114, 2015 3. A. D'Ausilio, E. Bartoli, L. Maffongelli L., Grasping Synergies: A motor-control approach to the mirror neuron mechanism, Phys Life Rev. 12, pp. 91-103, 2015 ***Contacts: alessandro.dausilio at iit.it; leonardo.badino at iit.it; luciano.fadiga at iit.it ******************************************************************************************************** ***Theme 9. Speaking in Concert ***Tutors: Prof. Luciano Fadiga, Dr. Leonardo Badino, Dr. Alessandro D?Ausilio Department: RBCS ***Description: While it is now undisputed that speakers engaged in a conversational interaction are perceived by external listeners as converging towards each other in how they speak, we do not know yet what exactly in their speech makes them sound more similar to each other. Both perceptual tests and detailed acoustic analyses have shown their limits, the former because they have failed to reveal along which acoustic/phonetic parameters convergence may occur between speakers, and the latter because we may not have looked at the right acoustic/phonetic parameters yet. In addition, little is known about the cerebral underpinnings of phonetic convergence in speech. The goal of this project is to better understand what makes speakers sound more like each other in a conversational interaction. We will achieve this by means of a set of simultaneous recordings at the neural, articulatory and acoustic levels, in order to identify the neural features that may control and modulate the articulatory movements that in turn are at the origin of convergence in speech. Another major issue will be to determine whether convergence is symmetrical or asymmetrical, i.e. whether one partner converges to a greater extent towards the other partner than the reverse. To address this issue, we will conduct a series of analyses based on methods such as Granger Causality and Transfer Entropy, which have already been successfully employed in studies on sensorimotor convergence (D?Ausilio et al., 2012). ***Requirements: A degree in Computer Science, Engineering or equivalent, with interests in Neuroscience. A background in speech processing, statistical analysis and machine learning will be appreciated. ***Reference: A. D'Ausilio, L. Badino, L. Yi, S. Tokay, L. Craighero, R. Canto, Y. Aloimonos, L. Fadiga, Leadership in Orchestra Emerges from the Causal Relationships of Movement Kinematics. PLoS ONE 7(5) ***Contacts: leonardo.badino at iit.it , alessandro.dausilio at iit.it, luciano.fadiga at iit.it ******************************************************************************************************** ******************************************************************************************************** *** How to apply Please note that the positions are available through the PhD course of BIOENGINEERING AND ROBOTICS, Curriculum Cognitive robotics, interaction and rehabilitation technologies, offered jointly by IIT and the University of Genoa. The official call and application forms are available on the website of the University of Genoa. The official calls are available here: [ENG] http://www.iit.it/en/openings/phd-calls.html [ENG] http://www.iit.it/images/phd-xxxi/RES.THEMES.COGNIROB.INTER.pdf [ITA] http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/XXXI/IT Applications must be submitted online, instructions for applicants are available here: [ENG] http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/index.php/how-to-apply Applications are considered for the subsequent selection ONLY if received ELECTRONICALLY through the UNIVERSITY of GENOA's website by the deadline. *Application deadline: 10 June 2015, 12pm Italian time ***Applicants are strongly encouraged to get in touch the contact person(s) for the individual themes. From alessandra.sciutti at gmail.com Thu May 7 06:16:30 2015 From: alessandra.sciutti at gmail.com (Alessandra Sciutti) Date: Thu, 7 May 2015 12:16:30 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: [jobs] PhD Opening on Mutual Understanding in Human-Robot Interaction at the Italian Institute of Technology Message-ID: <003001d088ae$e3476b60$a9d64220$@gmail.com> Apologies?for?cross-posting =========================================================================== PhD Opening on Mutual Understanding in Human Robot Interaction Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department (RBCS) - Italian Institute of Technology Cognitive Robotics, Interaction and Rehabilitation technologies curriculum =========================================================================== In the spirit of the doctoral School on Bioengineering and Robotics, the PhD Program for the curriculum ?Cognitive Robotics, Interaction and Rehabilitation Technologies? provides interdisciplinary training at the interface between technology and biomedicine. The general objective of the program is to form scientists and research technologists capable of dealing with multidisciplinary projects involving aspects of engineering, technology and life-sciences. In RBCS we are merging top-level neuroscience research and top-level robotics research by sharing fundamental scientific objectives arising from the study of speech recognition and language, the foundations of physical and social interaction, the exploitation of sensory and motor rehabilitation. Among the different research themes proposed I would like to advertise the topic: "Mutual Understanding in Human Robot Interaction" The ideal candidates are students with a higher level university degree willing to invest extra time and effort in blending into a multidisciplinary team composed of neuroscientists, engineers, psychologists, physicists working together to investigate brain functions and realize intelligent machines, rehabilitation protocols and advanced prosthesis. International applications are encouraged and will receive logistic support with visa issues, relocation, etc. Below you can find more details related to the position and the instructions on how to apply. Best regards, Alessandra Sciutti ----------------------------------------- Alessandra Sciutti (PhD) Robotics Brain and Cognitive Sciences Dept. - Italian Institute of Technology Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy email: alessandra.sciutti at iit.it =========================================================================== Theme 8: Mutual Understanding in Human Robot Interaction Tutor: Dr. Alessandra Sciutti Department: RBCS (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia) http://www.iit.it/rbcs =========================================================================== Description: As robots are making their way from factory floors into our everyday lives, the design of their interaction with humans is becoming more and more important and a key issue to address is how to transfer the excellent social skills exhibited by humans to human-robot interaction. Our approach to this challenge is based on leveraging on the neural and behavioral mechanisms naturally in place for human-human interaction to foster a seamless mutual understanding with humanoid robots. Hence, we use robots both as tools to stimulate human social interaction and as test beds for the derived models. In particular we focus on understanding in humans and implementing in a robotic platform the basic motor and perceptual skills supporting human collaboration, as gaze tracking [1], temporal coordination between partners [2], gesture and action understanding [3-5]. The activity we propose is twofold: on one side to further investigate how to establish efficient human robot collaboration by implementing models of social skills on the iCub robotic platform and on the other to assess these models in human-robot interactive scenarios by means of multiple techniques (e.g., eye-tracking, motion capture and force measurements). Requirements: Background in computer sciences, robotics, engineering is required, as also willingness to make experiments with human participants and strong motivation to work and adapt to a multidisciplinary environment. International opportunity: The successful candidate will have the opportunity to spend part of his/her PhD at Osaka University and the University of Tokyo in the framework of the Marie Curie IRSES collaborative project CODEFROR ( www.codefror.eu ). References: 1. O. Palinko, A. Sciutti, F. Rea, G. Sandini, Towards Better Eye Tracking in Human Robot Interaction Using an Affordable Active Vision System, HAI 2014 2. A. Bisio, A. Sciutti, F. Nori, G. Metta, L. Fadiga, G. Sandini, T. Pozzo, Motor Contagion during Human-Human and Human-Robot Interaction, PloS one, vol. 9, no. 8, 2014 3. N. Noceti, A. Sciutti, F. Rea, F. Odone, G. Sandini, Estimating human actions affinities across views, VISAPP 2015 4. A. Sciutti, L. Patan?, F. Nori, G. Sandini G., Understanding object weight from human and humanoid lifting actions, IEEE Transactions on Autonomous Mental Development, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 80-92, 2014 5. A. Sciutti, A. Bisio, F. Nori, G. Metta, L. Fadiga, G. Sandini, Robots can be perceived as goal-oriented agents, Interaction Studies, 14:3 . xv, 179, pp. 329?350, 2013 Contact: alessandra.sciutti at iit.it =========================================================================== How to apply =========================================================================== Please note that the positions are available through the PhD course of Bioengineering and Robotics, curriculum on Cognitive Robotics, Interaction and Rehabilitation Technologies, offered jointly by IIT and the University of Genoa. The official call and application forms are available on the website of the University of Genoa. In particular: The official calls are available here: http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/media/PhD%20Program%20in%20BioRob%20Cognit ive%20Robotics%202015%20def.pdf (Cognitive Robotics, Interaction and Rehabilitation Technologies curriculum. ) Applications must be submitted online, instructions for applicants are available here: http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/index.php/how-to-apply Applicants are strongly encouraged to get in touch with Alessandra Sciutti ( alessandra.sciutti at iit.it ). ****** Application deadline: 10 June 2015, Noon, Italian time ******* From ted.carnevale at yale.edu Thu May 7 13:52:26 2015 From: ted.carnevale at yale.edu (Ted Carnevale) Date: Thu, 07 May 2015 13:52:26 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: NEURON course discounts expire 5/15/2015 Message-ID: <554BA65A.9000406@yale.edu> Friday, May 15, is the last day to qualify for the NEURON Summer Courses' early registration discounts. Space is still available in both "NEURON Fundamentals" and "Parallel Simulations with NEURON" but you need to sign up by May 15 to be eligible to save $100 on one course, or $200 on both. This year's courses will include more coverage on using Python with NEURON, and the latest developments in modeling reactive diffusion. For more information, see http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/nscsd2015/nscsd2015.html --Ted From david at igi.tugraz.at Fri May 8 04:52:56 2015 From: david at igi.tugraz.at (David Kappel) Date: Fri, 08 May 2015 10:52:56 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: Network Plasticity as Bayesian Inference Message-ID: <554C7968.4000506@igi.tugraz.at> We would like to announce our new paper on stable network function through stochastic plasticity. Summary: Networks of neurons in the brain are exposed to a multitude of internal and external changes and perturbations, to which they have to respond quickly in order to maintain stable functionality. In addition, experimental data suggest that these networks are simultaneously able to maintain structural constraints such as the empirically found connection probability between specific types of neurons, and heavy-tailed distributions of synaptic weights. Other experimental data point to surprising ongoing fluctuations in dendritic spines and spine volumes, to some extent even in the adult brain and in the absence of synaptic activity. In our paper "Network Plasticity as Bayesian Inference" by D. Kappel, S. Habenschuss, R. Legenstein and W. Maass we have shown that stochasticity of synaptic connection may support stable network function. It enables networks to sample parameters from some low-dimensional manifold in a high-dimensional parameter space that represents attractive combinations of structural constraints and a good fit to empirical evidence (e.g., sensory inputs). The resulting new theory of network plasticity explains from a functional perspective the experimentally observed ongoing fluctuations and structural priors that previously appeared to be quite puzzling, and provides a viable alternative to existing models that propose convergence of parameters to point estimates of their optimal values, e.g. to maximum likelihood values. A preprint of the paper is available at:http://arxiv.org/abs/1504.05143v1 The supplement at:http://www.igi.tugraz.at/kappel/pdfs/ms-541-suppl.pdf -- David Kappel Institute for Theoretical Computer Science Graz University of Technology Inffeldgasse 16b, A-8010 Graz, Austria Tel.: ++43/316/873-5847 http://www.igi.tugraz.at/kappel/ From erzsebet at rice.edu Thu May 7 11:38:37 2015 From: erzsebet at rice.edu (Erzsebet Merenyi) Date: Thu, 07 May 2015 10:38:37 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: =?windows-1252?q?WSOM2016_in_Houston=2C_Texas=2C_?= =?windows-1252?q?Jan_6-8=2C_2016_=96_paper_deadline_May_15=2C_2015?= Message-ID: <554B86FD.80100@rice.edu> Dear Colleagues, The paper submission deadline, May 15, 2015, is nearing for the international conference ?11^th Workshop on Self-Organizing Maps?, WSOM 2016. The conference will be held at Rice University, Houston Texas, United States, January 6-8, 2016. Please see the WSOM 2016 web site at http://wsom2016.rice.edu/ for important dates, paper submission, venue, for your planning. We look forward to hosting you in Houston. Please don?t hesitate to contact us with any inquiries. (Do not reply to this email. Use the contact names and emails listed at the web site.) WSOM 2016 organizers -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mikeforrest at hotmail.com Fri May 8 14:46:06 2015 From: mikeforrest at hotmail.com (MICHAEL FORREST) Date: Fri, 8 May 2015 19:46:06 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: New Purkinje neuron paper; alcohol action Message-ID: Group members may be interested in this new paper. Forrest MD (2015) Simulation of alcohol action upon a detailed Purkinje neuron model and a simpler surrogate model that runs >400 times faster. BMC Neuroscience 16(1):27. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2202/16/27 Contributions of the paper: (1) New detailed computational model of the cerebellar Purkinje neuron (coded in NEURON and available in modelDB)(2) New reduced (2 compartment) model of the Purkinje neuron that runs >400 times faster than the detailed model. This reduced model replicates the behavior of the full model and can be used (a) in network simulations, to investigate how distinctive single neuron Purkinje behaviors are important to network and system function (b) as a proxy to find parameter values that will permit the full model to replicate new behavior.(3) It shows a new reduction method - for producing a faithful 2-compartment surrogate model of a detailed multi-compartment model. We apply it to the Purkinje neuron but we envisage that it will be equally applicable to other neuron types - so please try it with your own neuron model investigations. The collapse NEURON code is included in the modelDB entry. (4) It further confirms our prior work which shows that the the sodium-potassium pump controls the intrinsic firing mode of Purkinje neurons; and that the sodium-potassium pump is a computational element in the cerebellum and the brain. This is a significant re-appraisal of the role of these pumps, which previously were thought to have no direct role in brain computations.(5) Why do people fall over when drunk? This paper suggests that alcohol corrupts body movements by inhibiting sodium-potassium pumps in the cerebellum. Kindest regards,Michael -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Nicoladie.Tam at unt.edu Sat May 9 21:26:40 2015 From: Nicoladie.Tam at unt.edu (Tam, Nicoladie) Date: Sun, 10 May 2015 01:26:40 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: CNS*2015 Meeting in Prague, Early registration ends on May 14 Message-ID: <672AAEA7-5C02-4D87-A1CF-F2A487F49759@unt.edu> CNS*2015 Meeting in Prague, Czech Republic. Early registration for members ends on May 14, 2015, 11 pm, Pacific Time, USA, after which the registration price will increase. Meeting Info: Tutorial: July 18, 2015 Main Meeting: July 19-21, 2015 Workshop: July 22-23, 2015 http://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2015-prague See you all in Prague. From bjoern.ommer at iwr.uni-heidelberg.de Tue May 12 18:45:31 2015 From: bjoern.ommer at iwr.uni-heidelberg.de (=?UTF-8?B?QmrDtnJuIE9tbWVy?=) Date: Wed, 13 May 2015 00:45:31 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: Temporary Professorship in Computer Vision & Pattern Recognition, Heidelberg University Message-ID: <5552828B.6030206@iwr.uni-heidelberg.de> Temporary Professorship in Computer Vision & Pattern Recognition, Heidelberg University There is an opening for a temporary deputy professorship at the Heidelberg Collaboratory for Image processing (HCI), Heidelberg University. We are looking for a highly qualified researcher who is holding a PhD in Computer Science or a closely related field with a specialization in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition. Teaching experience is required as well as fluency in English (both written and spoken). The position is vacant in the winter semester running from September/October 2015 until February/March 2016 with a competitive professorial salary (full professor, W3 level). Afterwards there is the possibility to continue as a postdoc or senior research scholar at the institute. Applications should be submitted via email by May 31, 2015 and include a complete curriculum vitae, academic transcripts, documentation of teaching qualification, a teaching statement, and two academic references. The screening process will already start before the deadline so early submissions are encouraged. Email: hci [dot] applications [at] iwr [dot] uni-heidelberg [dot] de Further information: http://hci.iwr.uni-heidelberg.de/Staff/bommer/temporaryProfessor.pdf Prof. Dr. Bj?rn Ommer Heidelberg Collaboratory for Image Processing (HCI) Heidelberg University http://hci.iwr.uni-heidelberg.de/Staff/bommer/ From diego.sona at gmail.com Tue May 12 05:40:13 2015 From: diego.sona at gmail.com (Diego Sona) Date: Tue, 12 May 2015 11:40:13 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: PhD grant on Computational Methods for Brain Connectivity Analysis Message-ID: <542B8079-0F49-4825-82E4-5DD57648171E@gmail.com> The Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science (DISI) at the University of Trento and its research partners Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) and Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), will invite applications for an open PhD position covered by scholarship in the area of "Computational Methods for Brain Connectivity Analysis". The deadline for applications is May 27, 2015, before 14:00, CET. The PhD aims at carrying out research activity on machine learning methodologies for brain connectivity data analysis. The main goal is to design and to deploy machine learning algorithms for open challenges such as the detection of the main structural and functional pathways of the brain, the characterisation of the differences with respect to altered brain connections, the inter-individuals analysis of brain connectivity structures. The PhD grant is jointly supported by Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) and Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT). The research activity will take place at the Neuroinformatics Laboratory (NILab) in Trento and the Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision Laboratory (PAVIS) in Genova. NILab is an interdisciplinary laboratory raised as joint initiative between the Centre for Information Technology of FBK and the Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences of University of Trento (CIMeC). The University of Trento ranks 1st among the Italian Universities in the rankings of Times Higher Education and CIMeC ranks 1st for quality of research in the ranking of the Italian National for the Evaluation of Universities and Research (ANVUR). CIMeC has 6 ERC starting grants and 1 advanced grant. Trento ranks 1st in the annual survey on quality of life in Italian cities conducted by daily Il Sole 24 Ore. Details on the PhD School and a link to the online application are provided below. If you are interested, you may contact us in advance at the following address: info.nilab at fbk.eu & pavis at iit.it . Links - PhD School: http://ict.unitn.it - FBK: http://www.fbk.eu - CIMeC: http://www.cimec.unitn.it - NILab: http://nilab.fbk.eu - PAVIS: http://iit.it/pavis -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cassio at idsia.ch Tue May 12 11:12:55 2015 From: cassio at idsia.ch (Cassio P. de Campos) Date: Tue, 12 May 2015 16:12:55 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: CFP IJAR Special issue on Statistical and Computational methods for genomics and integrative genomics Message-ID: CALL FOR PAPERS International Journal of Approximate Reasoning Special issue on Statistical and Computational methods for genomics and integrative genomics http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-approximate-reasoning/call-for-papers/special-issue-on-statistical-and-computational-methods-for-g/ Background and Scope: In the last decade, the advent of microarray and next-generation sequencing technologies has created the need of statistical and computational methodologies specifically developed for dealing with these types of data and novel biomedical research goals. Genomic data measure quantities (such as, gene-expression, copy number, genotype, methylation) at several thousands or millions of positions along the genome, resulting in an enormous amount of information from which to extract the relevant content. They are usually noisy and subject to uncertainties due to non-biological variations, which must be taken into account during the modelling and inferential processes. Many other issues arise when the field of application regards the study of complex genetic diseases, since patients can be highly heterogeneous and several different lesions may alter the same biological pathway. Moreover, the number of patients is usually small with respect to the number of variables, which brings another facet to the problem. Approaches that try to overcome all these difficulties rely on biological assumptions and integrate established knowledge and multiple types of data. Data integration may comprise not only different genomic data, but also clinical and other patient information. Combining all this information by an accurate biological and statistical modelling may allow us to achieve reliable biomedical discoveries. Inferential and computational issues must be also considered, as data have very high dimension and computational resources are limited. Papers are sought on theoretical and practical considerations involving statistical and computational approaches to address problems and data from the biomedical domain, including but not limited to: Next generation sequencing data Microarray data Data integration in genomics Genetic network modelling and inference Gene pattern discovery Disease classification and prediction Biomarker discovery Computational biology General methodological and algorithmic developments are also welcome as long as they have a clear applicability to the biomedical domain. If unsure about the fit of your intended paper or for any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact the guest editors. Important Dates: Deadline for first submission: August 31, 2015 Reviews available: November, 2015 Expected online publication: April, 2016 Submission and Review Process: Authors should prepare their papers according to the Guide for Authors of the International Journal of Approximate Reasoning (http://ees.elsevier.com/ija/). All submissions must be made electronically through the Elsevier's EES submission system at http://ees.elsevier.com/ija/ with the Article Type 'SI: Statistical genomics'. All papers will be peer-reviewed following the IJAR review guidelines. Guest Editors: Paola M.V. Rancoita University Centre for Statistics for the Biomedical Sciences Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Italy http://www.unisr.it/persona.asp?id=8888&linguacv=english Cassio P. de Campos School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Queen's University Belfast, UK http://www.cs.qub.ac.uk/~c.decampos/ From pel at gatsby.ucl.ac.uk Mon May 11 04:29:05 2015 From: pel at gatsby.ucl.ac.uk (Peter Latham) Date: Mon, 11 May 2015 09:29:05 +0100 (BST) Subject: Connectionists: Neural Coding, Computation and Dynamics (NCCD) Message-ID: August 30 - September 2, 2015 Bilbao, Spain http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/nccd/nccd15/ Third call!! Key dates: May 15: Abstracts due May 31: Registration due The goal of this workshop is to bring together experimentalists and theoreticians who seek to understand how circuit dynamics underlies representation and function in the nervous system, and to foster real discussion. This year the workshop will focus on the interplay between excitation (E) and inhibition (I) in cortical circuits. The balance between E and I, an idea proposed twenty years ago to account for the stochastic nature of cortical activity, has been seminal in the understanding of basic principles of neural network dynamics. We are seeking talks that, building on this paradigm, present recent findings on topics such as neuronal variability and stochastic dynamics, the role of the different subtypes of interneurons,plasticity and structure in EI networks, brain state and network dynamics, etc. The workshop will be limited to about 70 people, the hope being to foster real interaction and discussion. Thanks to a very generous grant from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the Wellcome Trues, we will have a limited number of travel grants (20-25) for students and postdocs. Confirmed invited speakers Dean Buonomano, University of California at Los Angeles Jess Cardin, Yale School of Medicine Brent Doiron, University of Pittsburgh Andrea Hasenstaub, UCSF Mike Hausser, UCL Carl Petersen, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne Karel Svoboda, Janelia Farm Tim Vogels, University of Oxford Fred Wolf, University of Gottingen Best, Peter Latham Jaime de la Rocha Maneesh Sahani Goncalves Co-organizers From simone.seeger at zi-mannheim.de Mon May 11 05:16:30 2015 From: simone.seeger at zi-mannheim.de (Seeger, Simone) Date: Mon, 11 May 2015 09:16:30 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Reminder: Bernstein Conference - Call for Abstracts Message-ID: <68B5BBF569FEF84891D3AAB4D3141E457F16BAE0@ZIMAIL1.Zi.local> Call for Abstracts: Bernstein Conference 2015 Deadline of Abstract Submission: May 15, 2015! ************************************************************** Satellite Workshops September 14, 2015 Main Conference September 15-17, 2015 ************************************************************** The Bernstein Conference has become the largest annual Computational Neuroscience Conference in Europe and now regularly attracts more than 500 international participants. This year, the Conference is organized by the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg-Mannheim and will take place on September 15-17, 2015, in Heidelberg. In addition, there will be a series of pre-conference satellite workshops on September 14, 2015. The Bernstein Conference is a single-track conference, covering all aspects of Computational Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, and sessions for poster presentations are an integral part of the conference. We now invite the submission of abstracts for poster presentations from all relevant areas. Accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). Additionally, a small number of abstracts will be selected for contributed talks. DETAILS FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION: For abstract submission visit: http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2015/abstracts Please note that the submission of an abstract does not replace the conference registration! Conference registration is possible here. Abstract submission deadline: May 15, 2015 CONFERENCE DETAILS: Venue: Satellite Workshops and Main Conference, "Neue Universit?t", Grabengasse 3-5 ("Universit?tsplatz"), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany Registration: Conference Registration starts on April 27, 2015 Early registration deadline: July 21, 2015 For more information on the conference, please visit the website: http://www.bernstein-conference.de PUBLIC PHD STUDENT EVENT: September 17-18, 2015 PUBLIC LECTURE: September 15, 2015 FOR THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: Peter Bastian We look forward to seeing you in Heidelberg in September! *** Simone Seeger, M.A. Administration Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Zentralinstitut f?r Seelische Gesundheit Postfach 12 21 20, 68072 Mannheim J5, 68159 Mannheim Telefon: 0621/1703-1326 oder 06221/54-8310 Fax: 0621/1703-2915 E-Mail: Simone.Seeger at zi-mannheim.de Internet: http://www.bccn-heidelberg-mannheim.de -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From maciej.jedynak at upf.edu Mon May 11 11:31:16 2015 From: maciej.jedynak at upf.edu (Maciej Jedynak) Date: Mon, 11 May 2015 17:31:16 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: ICSLANE: CALL FOR ABSTRACTS AND CONTRIBUTED TALKS Message-ID: ----------------------------------------- SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT --------------------------------------- International Conference on System Level Approaches to Neural Engineering (ICSLANE) Dates September 21st ? 23rd 2015 Deadline registration 30th May Venue Barcelona Biomedical Research Park , Barcelona, Spain Website http://www.neural-engineering.eu/BarcelonaConference2015/index.html We invite you to submit poster abstracts and apply for contributed talks We introduced a one-day participation option: now you can attend one day of the conference for 80 Euros. The program per day with its outstanding list of confirmed speakers is already available here: http://www.neural-engineering.eu/BarcelonaConference2015/index.html The aim of this interdisciplinary conference is to bring together theoretical and experimental neuroscientists, roboticists and microfluidics experts to present and discuss the state of the art in the field of neural engineering. It is designed to provide fertile grounds for establishing collaborations between classical neuroscientists and leaders in the up-and-coming robotics and microfluidics fields to develop novel neural engineering techniques and promote the understanding of the brain. It will also give the researchers an opportunity to present their work by contributed talks or during poster sessions. ----------------------------------------------------- PROGRAM --------------------------------------------------- Keynote speakers Eugene Izhikevich - Brain Corporation, San Diego, CA, USA. Opening talk, Day 1 Nikos Logothetis - Director Max Planck Institute for Biol Cybernetics, Germany. Closing talk, Day 3 Day 1 Brain-on-chip - engineering of neuronal circuits in-vitro with emphasis on microfluidics Albert Folch - Department Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, USA Thibault Honegger - Laboratoire des Technologies de la Microelectronique, CNRS-CEA, France Yoonkey Nam - Department for Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, South Korea Optical neurotechnology Methodology - imaging and engineering techniques that allow recording of neuronal activity Amanda Foust - Neural Coding Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, UK Fritjof Helmchen - Brain Research Institute, University of Z?rich, Z?rich, Switzerland Adam Packer - Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, UCL, UK Eftychios Pnevmatikakis - Department of Statistics & Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, USA Day 2 Neural Dynamics - mathematical description of neuronal activity Viktor Jirsa - Institut de Neurosciences des Syst?mes, Marseille, France David Liley - Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia Benjamin Lindner - Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience,Germany John Terry - College of Engineering, Mathematics & Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, UK Neural learning and control - motion planning, controlling and learning neuro-inspired techniques for robotics Dario Farina - Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Germany Sami Haddadin - Institute of Automatic Control, Hannover, Germany Alexandre Pouget - CMU, Geneva, Switzerland Gregor Sch?ner - Institut f?r Neuroinformatik, Ruhr-Universit?t Bochum, Germany Reza Shadmehr - John Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA Patrick van der Smagt - BRML labs, TUM, Germany Day 3 Neural Coding - investigation of neuronal strategies for encoding information Andre Bastos - The Picower Institute for Learning & Memory at MIT, Boston, USA Romain Brette - Institut de la Vision, Paris, France Sophie Deneve - Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, LNC, Paris, France Kenneth Harris - Institute of Neurology & Department of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, UCL, UK Stefano Panzeri - Neural Computation Lab, IIT, Rovereto, Italy Jan Schnupp - Auditory Neuroscience Group, Oxford, UK --------------------------------------------------- REGISTRATION --------------------------------------------------- Deadline Registration 30th May Conference fee 200 Euros (plus 50 Euros for optional conference dinner) One-day Conference fee 80 Euros The single-day participation option still allows to apply for a contributed talk or a poster. Registration can be done on our registration form . Details about the payment will be posted on the conference website. -------------------------------------- CALL FOR POSTERS AND TALKS ------------------------------------- Posters will be selected from half-page abstracts, which should be submitted by email to nett.barcelona.2015 at gmail.com. Please specify in the object to which theme panel you are submitting your abstract. We invite you to apply for contributed talks. Please send a half-page abstract to nett.barcelona.2015 at gmail.com. Selected talks will be scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. Each talk should be about 15 minutes long. Abstract Submission closes: 30th May Abstract Acceptance Notification: 30th June This International Conference on System Level Approaches to Neural Engineering conference is organised by the Fellows of the NETT consortium (Neural Engineering Transformative Technologies ). We cordially invite you to participate in this meeting that will take place in Barcelona, Spain, on September 21st ? 23rd, 2015. The NETT consortium is a Marie Curie Initial Training Network involving neuroscience research laboratories from the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal, and industrial partners. The network is coordinated by Professor Stephen Coombes from the University of Nottingham, UK, and this three-days long event is part of a series of training events organised by the NETT consortium. On behalf of the NETT Fellows, Best regards, Maciej Jedynak, Neural Engineering Transformative Technologies Universitat Polit?cnica de Catalunya, Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Barcelona, Spain. -- Maciej Jedynak, PhD student. Neural Engineering Transformative Technologies Universitat Polit?cnica de Catalunya, Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Barcelona, Spain. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From m.hennig at ed.ac.uk Wed May 13 14:19:34 2015 From: m.hennig at ed.ac.uk (Matthias Hennig) Date: Wed, 13 May 2015 19:19:34 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Post-doc at Edinburgh Message-ID: <555395B6.1090602@ed.ac.uk> Dear all We have a vacancy for post-doctoral research on machine learning models applied to neural data. The post is suited to applicants with a machine learning/computational statistics background and an interest in biological applications of statistical modelling. The project is an EPSRC award to develop statistical modelling methodologies for high density neural multi-electrode arrays (HD-MEAs). We will use recordings from a 4,096 channel array to get new insights on the interactions in large populations of neurons. It is led by Guido Sanguinetti and Matthias Hennig. Please get in touch with us for further information and informal inquiries; closing date is 08 June 2015. Details: https://www.vacancies.ed.ac.uk/pls/corehrrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=033202 Best, Matthias -- Matthias H Hennig http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/mhennig/ The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. From pierre-yves.oudeyer at inria.fr Wed May 13 13:35:08 2015 From: pierre-yves.oudeyer at inria.fr (Pierre-Yves Oudeyer) Date: Wed, 13 May 2015 19:35:08 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: Multiple open engineering positions in the open-source 3D printed Poppy Robotics project applied to education, at Inria Flowers Lab (Bordeaux, France) Message-ID: [Call for application] Multiple open engineering positions in the open-source 3D printed Poppy Robotics project applied to education, at Inria Flowers Lab (Bordeaux, France) Poppy is an open-source platform for the creation, use and sharing of interactive 3D printed robots. It addresses both beginners and experts in the fields of education, science, art, more generally makers. The Poppy platform is based on robust, flexible, easy-to-use and reproduce hardware and software. In particular, the use of 3D printing and rapid prototyping technologies is a central aspect of this project, and makes it easy and fast not only to reproduce the platform, but also to explore morphological variants. The platform, designed at Flowers robotics Lab at Inria and Ensta (France), allows creation and modification of robots of various morphologies, in particular humanoid robot morphologies such as for the robots Poppy Humanoid and Poppy Torso. The platform is also used to create simpler robots with variable morphologies, such as the Poppy Ergo robots, which aim to be at the same time reconfigurable, and easy to construct, plug and play. Web: http://www.poppy-project.org Forum: https://forum.poppy-project.org/categories (600 registered members) Inria Flowers Lab, Bordeaux, France: https://flowers.inria.fr Inria Flowers lab at Inria is now searching for excellent and highly motivated engineers to join the project and develop it towards educational applications, in the context of the project Poppy Education jointly funded by Inria, R?gion Aquitaine, and European Feder funds. The project Poppy Education targets the application of the Poppy platform to the world of education, both within schools/universities and outside school in networks of FabLabs. As detailed below, we have open positions in software development, web development, as well as design and experimentation of educational content/pedagogical kits, with Scratch-like visual programming tools. Poppy will constitute a major innovative pedagogical platform allowing to cultivate the understanding and creativity of students (and the wider public) to catch up with the current revolution of 3D printing and its integration with computer science, electronics and integrated design methodologies that are now thriving in industry. Within Poppy Education, both the platform, pedagogical content and its use cases will be developed in constant interaction with its end users within schools, universities, FabLabs and other structures acting to educate the wide public to science and technology, within an open-source methodology. Several open positions, described below, are available and will be located within Inria Flowers Lab in Bordeaux, France. Inria Flowers Lab is internationally reknown for its contribution to developmental robotics, on topics such as curiosity-driven learning in robots, imitation learning, robot acquisition of language, cognitive modelling, and applications to education and assistance. Inria: Public science and technology institution established in 1967, Inria is the only public research body fully dedicated to computational sciences. Combining computer sciences with mathematics, Inria?s 3,449 researchers strive to invent the digital technologies of the future. Educated at leading international universities, they creatively integrate basic research with applied research and dedicate themselves to solving real problems, collaborating with the main players in public and private research in France and abroad and transferring the fruits of their work to innovative companies. The researchers at Inria published over 4,500 articles in 2013. They are behind over 270 active patents and 110 start-ups. In 2013, Inria?s budget came to 235 million euros, 25% of which represented its own resources. Flowers Lab is located at the Inria Bordeaux site: http://www.inria.fr/en/centre/bordeaux/overview/discover-our-centre How to apply: send an email with your CV AND letter of motivation to poppy-jobs at inria.fr indicating the CODE of the mission for which you apply (see codes below). Detailed information and documents on projects realized by candidates will be appreciated. Code: Poppy Education 1 Job title: Engineer in software development for integrated development platform Experience: up to 8 years after engineering diploma (plut?t 2 ? 8 ans d'experience ? je suis pas s?r qu'on veuille un IJD) Duration: 12 to 24 months Mission Develop and integrate software programming tools that allow users in education to discover and learn programming and robotics Job description: Extend and maintain the pypot python programming library (https://github.com/poppy-project/pypot) Extend and maintain the integration of pypot with Ipython and Jupyter Extend and maintain the integration of programming tools with physical Poppy robots and a simulator Develop installation tools allowing rapid "one-click" installation of programming tools on several platforms including Raspberry Pi, Windows, Mac Os, Linux Document developped tools Participate to animating the users community, both online through the forum and web site and through participating to live educational robotics events Candidate profile: Extended python programming experience Experience in embedded programming (e.g. Rasberry Pi, Arduino, Embedded Linux) Rich programming skills including javascript, C++ Multiplatform software installers technologies (Windows/MacOS/Linux) Experience of programming robots User-centered methodology for code development Experience in open-source projects Strong experience with versionning tool (Git) Excellent programming practices Code: Poppy Education 2 Job title: Engineer in web software technologies Experience: Up to 2 years after engineering diploma Duration: 12 to 24 months Mission Integration and development of web software technologies for the Poppy web sites Job description: Develop Wordpress plugins for http://www.poppy-project.org Develop plugins and personalization of Discourse-based Poppy forum: https://forum.poppy-project.org Integrate a wiki technology for Poppy Documentation Unify graphical design of web sites Setup maintainance methods for Poppy web sites (including update of supporting softwares) Document developped tools Daily update of web site content and animation of the community in the forum Candidate profile: Excellent javascript skills Experience in developping plugins for Wordpress Experience in web design and web site development Experience in open-source projects Strong experience with versionning tool (Git) Excellent programming practices Code: Poppy Education 3 Job title: Engineer in software development for web-based applications Experience: Up to 2 years after engineering diploma (+0 to +2 experience) Duration: 12 to 24 months Mission Develop web applications for educational robotics Job description: Develop web applications allowing the configuration of robots and checking the state of motors, sensors and electronics (accessible from browsers on computers and tablets) Extend and maintain a REST API for the pypot python programming library Develop a web applications allowing basic control of Poppy robots (launching behaviours, teleguiding robots) Extend and develop visual programming tools based on Snap! language (including developping extensions to Snap!) Develop compatibility with Scratch programming language Develop an app store allowing easy community sharing of programs written in python or visual programming languages Participate to animating the users community, both online through the forum and web site and through participating to live educational robotics events Candidate profile: Excellent programming skills in javascript and python Experience in web app architecture design Experience in interface design and user-centered methodology Experience in web communication technologies and APIs Experience in responsive and mobile friendly web design Strong experience with versionning tool (Git) Excellent programming practices Code: Poppy Education 4 Job title: Engineer for pedagogical design and experimentation of educational activities in robotics Experience: up to 8 years after engineering/university diploma (pareil +2, autant pas avoir un IJD) Duration: 12 to 24 months Mission Design, experiment and disseminate educational activities based on the Poppy robotic platform Job description: Analyze the educational needs of several populations of users (high-school students, university students, FafLab members, ...) Design pedagogical sequences and scenarios of activities targeted to different populations of students, based on visual programming and python programming tools Initiate contacts with users for experimentation Evaluate pedagogical activities in real contexts of use (in schools, universities and FabLabs) Produce integrated polished multimedia documents embedding "ready to use" pedagogical content Produce multimedia content to publicize educational uses of the platform Participate to events to promote educational uses of the platform Candidate profile: Experience in teaching computer science and technology Experience in user-centered methodologies Experience in python programming language (or other scripting languages) Familiarity with Scratch like visual, drag-and-drop programming language Interest in interdiciplinary collaborations (education, science, art, makers) Creative thinking to design motivating learning scenarios Code: Poppy Education 5 Job title: Engineer for coordination of pedagocial activities and events in Poppy Project Experience: senior level pedagogical expert Mission Coordinate the design and dissemination of pedagogical activitives, organization of educational dissemination events Job description: Build a focus group of pedagogical experts to design the specification of educational robotics activities Build a network of educational partner institutions to welcome experimentation of educational activities Coordinate the organization of experimentation and dissemination of pedagogical activities Design pedagogical sequences and scenarios of activities targeted to different populations of students, based on visual programming and python programming tools Candidate profile: Extended experience of teaching with/about digital technologies/ICT Extended experience of collaboration with educational institutions Experience in designing pedagocical content for various age ranges Knowledge of French education programs at high-school levels Pierre-Yves Oudeyer Research director, Inria Head of Flowers Laboratory Inria and Ensta Paris-Tech http://www.pyoudeyer.com https://flowers.inria.fr -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From antonior at ffclrp.usp.br Thu May 14 16:53:32 2015 From: antonior at ffclrp.usp.br (Antonio C. Roque) Date: Thu, 14 May 2015 17:53:32 -0300 Subject: Connectionists: LASCON 2016 - VI Latin American School on Computational Neuroscience (Call for applications) Message-ID: **** Apologies for cross-posting **** VI Latin American School on Computational Neuroscience - LASCON 2016 January 3 - 29, 2016, Sao Paulo, Brazil http://sisne.org/lascon APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 6 2015 FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT Dear Colleagues, Following the success of the previous editions of LASCON (Latin American School on Computational Neuroscience), I am pleased to announce the 6th LASCON, which will take place between January 3 - 29 2016 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. LASCON aims at introducing young researchers and graduate and advanced undergraduate students to the use of computational and mathematical methods for modeling neurons and neural networks. These models will be taught via a combination of theoretical lectures and hands-on tutorials with the use of the programs like neuroConstruct, NEURON, NEST, Brian, the Virtual Brain and Matlab. Students will have to work on small research projects (to be done in groups of two), which they will present orally at the end of the school. The following lecturers will be in charge of theoretical classes and tutorials: Arnd Roth, University College, London, UK Benjamin Lindner, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany Boris Marin, University College, London, UK Christophe Pouzat, Universite Paris Descartes, Paris, France Demian Battaglia, Aix-Marseille Universite, Marseille, France German Mato, Centro Atomico Bariloche, San Carlos de Bariloche, RN, Argentina Hannah Bos, Forschungszentrum Juelich, Juelich, Germany Jannis Schuecker, Forschungszentrum Juelich, Juelich, Germany John Murray, New York University, New York, NY, USA Marco Huertas, University of Texas Medical School, Houston, TX, USA Sam Neymotin, State University of New York, New York, NY, USA Volker Steuber, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK William Lytton, State University of New York, New York, NY, USA There will also be some invited lectures. The current list of invited lecturers is: Andre Kohn, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Antonio Galves, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Cesar Renno-Costa, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil Hilda Cerdeira, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Julian Tejada, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Aracaju, SE, Brazil Leonardo Maia, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos, SC, Brazil Marco Idiart, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Marcelo Reyes, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo Andre, SP, Brazil Mauro Copelli, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, The number of students is limited to 20 and applications should be made electronically via the application form in the school's web page ( http://sisne.org/?page_id=253&lang=en). Applicants are also requested to submit a detailed CV (in English) and to provide two letters of recommendation. The application deadline is September 6 2015 (until midnight, US Pacific time). There is no registration fee for the school. Costs for accommodation will be covered by the school organization. Travel costs have to be covered by the students. Sao Paulo is the major transportation hub in South America, so it is possible to fly from basically anywhere in the world to it. In the selection procedure, priority will be given to Latin-American students, but students from other parts of the world are encouraged to apply as well. LASCON 2016 is an activity of the FAPESP Center for Neuromathematics (NeuroMat -http://neuromat.numec.prp.usp.br) and is jointly organized by the University of Sao Paulo and the Federal University of ABC. I am looking forward to see you in Sao Paulo. Best regards, A. Roque LASCON Director -- Dr. Antonio C. Roque Professor Associado Departamento de Fisica FFCLRP, Universidade de Sao Paulo 14040-901 Ribeirao Preto-SP Brazil - Brasil E-mails: antonior at ffclrp.usp.br aroquesilva at gmail.com URL: www.sisne.org Tels: +55 16 3315-3768 (sala/office); +55 16 3315-3859 (lab) FAX: +55 16 3315-4887 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bicv2015 at gmx.com Tue May 12 22:51:38 2015 From: bicv2015 at gmx.com (BICV2015) Date: Wed, 13 May 2015 10:51:38 +0800 Subject: Connectionists: Summer School on Brain-Inspired Computer Vision - BICV 2015 Message-ID: <5552BC3A.7000700@gmx.com> Dear colleagues, We kindly invite you to join the fifth *International Summer School on Brain-inspired Computer Vision ? BICV 2015* *27 ? 31 July 2015 in Shenyang, China*. The lectures are given by: */prof. Bart ter Haar Romeny/*, ?double hundred program? international expert professor at Northeastern University in Shenyang, and Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands */dr. George Azzopardi/*, author of the CORF and COSFIRE contextual models for V1/V4, University of Malta, and University of Groningen, the Netherlands. See the website:www.bicv2015.org . The understanding of brain mechanisms is strongly increasing, through breakthroughs in MRI and optical and functional imaging techniques. Brain-inspired computer vision implements these techniques in efficient and robust algorithms for a wide range of vision applications. They are capable to deal with context, self-organization and learning, big-data handling, and robust pattern recognition. This will be a tutorial master class, dedicated to state-of-the-art techniques in brain-inspired computing. Many applications will be developed in medical image analysis, robotics, traffic analysis, visual inspection etc. The lectures are combined with interactive computer classes. The aim of this Summer School is to discuss theory and in particular applications of recent developments of computational modelling of the visual cortex of the brain: ?- Anatomy, physiology and hierarchy of visual cortex areas ?- Receptive fields as regularized differential operators ?- Contour detection, robust segmentation, invariant geometric features ?- Feedback mechanisms and edge preserving noise reduction techniques ?- Multi-orientation and COSFIRE/CORF techniques, enabling powerful contextual analysis ?- Object recognition - ? - Learning and self-organization. Applications will cover: ?- Computer-aided diagnosis techniques and algorithms ?- Polyp detection in virtual colonoscopy ?- Breast tumor detection ?- Object tracking in traffic analysis ?- Handwritten character recognition ?- Retinal image analysis Shenyang is a beautiful and historical city in the Northeast of China. Visits will be organized to the impressive Neusoft Medical Systems CT manufacturing plant, as well as to the Ming dynasty Forbidden City in Shenyang. Shenyang is connected by flight (1.5h) and high-speed train (4.5h) to Beijing. This renowned Summer School is an annual event attended by engineers and scientist from the fields of computer vision, biomedical engineering, computing science, electrical engineering, mathematics and automation, both from academia and industry, as well as vision scientists and science-oriented MD?s from the Asia-Pacific region, as well as from other parts of the world. The Summer School only charges a low fee for the local expenditures. Attendance is limited to 60 participants.Deadline for registration is 15 July 2015. For questions, please contact: bicv2015 at gmx.com . We look forward to seeing you in Shenyang in July 2015! For the organizing committee: Prof. Yan Kang, PhD, Vice-Dean Mr. Gao Han, local organizer Biomedical Informatics and Engineering School of Northeastern University Shenyang, China. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rli at cs.odu.edu Thu May 14 22:10:34 2015 From: rli at cs.odu.edu (rongjian li) Date: Fri, 15 May 2015 02:10:34 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: KDD Workshop: BrainKDD CFP Message-ID: [Apology for cross-postings] BrainKDD Call for Papers BrainKDD: International Workshop on Data Mining for Brain Science in conjunction with ACM SIGKDD International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (SIGKDD'15) August 10, 2015, Sydney https://sites.google.com/site/brainkdd2015/ Understanding brain function is one of the greatest challenges facing science. Today, brain science is experiencing rapid changes and is expected to achieve major advances in the near future. In April 2013, U.S. President Barack Obama formally announced the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative, the BRAIN Initiative. In Europe, the European Commission has recently launched the European Human Brain Project (HBP). In the private sector, the Allen Institute for Brain Science is embarking on a new 10-year plan to generate comprehensive, large-scale data in the mammalian cerebral cortex under the MindScope project. These ongoing and emerging projects are expected to generate a deluge of data that capture the brain activities at different levels of organization. There is thus a compelling need to develop the next generation of data mining and knowledge discovery tools that allow one to make sense of this raw data and to understand how neurological activity encodes information. This workshop will focus on exploring the forefront between computer science and brain science and inspiring fundamentally new ways of mining and knowledge discovery from a variety of brain data. We encourage submissions in, but not limited to, the following areas: * Mining of in situ hybridization and microarray gene expression data * Mining of brain connectivity and circuitry data * Mining of structural and functional MRI data * Mining of EEG and related data * Mining of temporal developing brain data * Mining of spatial neuroimaging data * Integrative mining of multi-modality brain data * Mining of diseased brain data, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and schizophrenia * Segmentation and registration of neuroimaging data Important Dates: Workshop paper submissions: June 5, 2015 Workshop paper notifications: June 30, 2015 Workshop date: August 10, 2015 All deadlines are at 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time. Submission Instructions: Papers should be prepared using the ACM Proceedings Format http://www.acm.org/sigs/publications/proceedings-templates#aL2 and should be at most 9 pages long. Paper should be submitted in PDF format through the following link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=brainkdd2015 Publication: Accepted workshop papers will be invited to Brain Informatics, subject to additional peer review. From M.Gillies at gold.ac.uk Mon May 18 03:11:48 2015 From: M.Gillies at gold.ac.uk (Marco Gillies) Date: Mon, 18 May 2015 07:11:48 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: New Lectureships and Post-doctoral fellowships at Goldsmiths Computing In-Reply-To: <1431933048706.53901@gold.ac.uk> References: <1431933048706.53901@gold.ac.uk> Message-ID: <1431933107581.73733@gold.ac.uk> apologies for cross posting, please forward to anyone who may be interested -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've very excited to say that Goldsmiths' Computing is now hiring, with a number of lectureships now available, plus our innovative Post-Doctoral Teaching and Research fellowships. We have general lectureships in Computer Science and Computational Arts, and specialist games lectureships. We have one full time lectureship in any area of either Computer Science or Computational arts and a 0.5 lectureship in either field. We particularly welcome applications that relate to some of our key teaching and research specialisms like Physical Computing, Data Science/Machine Learning/Interactive Machine Learning or Audio-Visual Interaction (this list is slightly biased to my interests, see the advert for a full list of specialism). http://jobs.theguardian.com/job/6088464/lecturer-teaching-and-research-in-computing/?LinkSource=PremiumListing http://jobs.theguardian.com/job/6088449/lecturer-teaching-and-scholarship-in-computer-science/?LinkSource=PremiumListing http://jobs.theguardian.com/job/6088498/lecturer-teaching-and-scholarship-in-computational-arts/?LinkSource=PremiumListing We have two Video Games/Graphics lectureships, one in programming (with a focus on C++ and graphics) and the other (0.5) in Art and Design: http://jobs.theguardian.com/job/6088485/lecturer-teaching-and-research-in-graphics-and-games-programming/?LinkSource=PremiumListing http://jobs.theguardian.com/job/6088471/lecturer-teaching-and-scholarship-in-games-art-and-design/?LinkSource=PremiumListing Finally, our Postdoctoral Teaching and Research Fellowships provide a fantastic opportunity for those of you who have just finished or are writing up a PhD and want to take a first step into an academic career. You would have a split between research and teaching time, just like a full lecturer. In your research time you would be free to pursue your own research interests as you please (including writing up and publishing your PhD) but would do so within one of our research groups that would provide mentorship from eperienced academics, particularly with applying for funding. In terms of teaching, you would be responsible for planning and delivering sessions within major undergraduate courses, but you will always be team teaching with an experienced academic, who will mentor you in your transition into teaching. http://jobs.theguardian.com/job/6088503/post-doctoral-teaching-and-research-fellows-multiple-positions/?LinkSource=PremiumListing Please consider applying, we are really excited to be joined by new, dynamic academics. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ted.carnevale at yale.edu Mon May 18 14:48:27 2015 From: ted.carnevale at yale.edu (Ted Carnevale) Date: Mon, 18 May 2015 14:48:27 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: NEURON course registration deadline is May 29! Message-ID: <555A33FB.3030504@yale.edu> Massive apologies for my previous erroneous email! The registration deadline for "NEURON Fundamentals" is Friday, _May_ 29. A few seats do remain open, so if you are interested see http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/nscsd2015/nscsd2015.html --Ted From zhong at maebashi-it.ac.jp Sun May 17 21:25:44 2015 From: zhong at maebashi-it.ac.jp (Ning Zhong) Date: Mon, 18 May 2015 10:25:44 +0900 Subject: Connectionists: Call for TYPE-II papers - Brain Informatics and Health (BIH'15) Message-ID: <55593F98.4030905@maebashi-it.ac.jp> [Apologies for cross-postings] Call for TYPE-II papers (Abstract Submissions) Submission Deadline: June 16, 2015 ************************************************************* 2015 International Conference on Brain Informatics and Health (BIH'15) Venue: Imperial College London, London, UK, Time: Aug 30-Sep 2, 2015 www.braininformatics.london Submission Deadline: June 16, 2015 ************************************************************* Conference Theme: Brain informatics has emerged as a distinct field of research. It crosses the disciplines of neuroscience, cognitive science, computer science, signal processing, and neuroimaging technologies. The data driven nature of brain research made brain informatics an important field of data science. Following the success of past conferences in this series, BIH'15 will take place at Imperial College London, in UK. For the first time, BIH gathers the researchers from major international brain research projects to form a forum for reviewing the progress of brain informatics research and its applications to human health and building up international collaboration. The conference will also organise an exhibition from industrial and research community. BIH'15 draws special attention to informatics for brain science, human behaviour and health. BIH'15 will address informatics approaches to both the brain and behaviour research with a strong emphasis on emerging trends of big data analysis and management technology for brain research, behaviour learning, and real-world applications of brain science in human health and wellbeing. The distinguished speakers include: Keynote Speakers ---------------- Allan Jones, CEO, Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA; Henry Markram, Director, Blue Brain Project; Coordinator, Human Brain Project, EPFL, Switzerland; David Van Essen, PI, Human Connectome Project, Washington University School of Medicine, USA; Feature Speakers ---------------- Giorgio Ascoli, (Founding Director, Center for Neural Informatics, George Mason University, USA); Henry Kennedy, (Director of Research, Stem-cell and Brain Research Institute, France); Barbara Sahakian, (University of Cambridge, UK); Nelson Spruston, (Scientific Program Director, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), USA); Paul Verschure, (Director, the Lab of SPECS at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Spain); BIH'15 welcomes paper submissions (full paper and abstract submissions). Both research and application papers are solicited. All submitted papers will be reviewed on the basis of technical quality, relevance, significance and clarity. Accepted full papers will be included in the proceedings by Springer LNCS/LNAI. Tutorial, Satellite symposium (workshop) and Special-Session proposals and Industry/Demo-Track papers are also welcome. ================================= PAPER SUBMISSIONS & PUBLICATIONS: TYPE-II (Abstract Submissions; Submission Deadline: June 16, 2015): Each abstract is limited to 500 words. Experimental research is particularly welcome. Accepted abstract submissions will be included in the conference program, and will be published as a single, collective proceedings volume. Title: Include in the title of the abstract all words critical for a subject index. Write your title in sentence case (first letter is capitalized; remaining letters are lower case). Do not bold or italicize your full title. Author: List all authors who contributed to the work discussed in the abstract. The presenting author must be listed in the first author slot of the list. Be prepared to submit contact information as well as conflict of interest information for each author listed. Abstract: Enter the body of the abstract. Do not re-enter the title, author, support, or other information that is collected in other steps of the submission form. Presentation Preference: Authors may select from three presentation formats when submitting an abstract: "poster only,?, ?talk preferred" or "no preference." The ?talk preferred" selection indicates that you would like to give a talk, but will accept a poster format if necessary. Marking "poster only" indicates that you would not like to be considered for an oral-presentation session. Selecting "no preference" indicates the author's willingness to be placed in the best format for the program. Each paper or abstract requires one sponsoring attendee (i.e. someone who registered and is attending the conference). A single attendee can not sponsor more than two abstracts or papers. Oral presentations will be selected from both full length papers and abstracts. *** Post-Conference Journal Publication *** Selected submissions will be considered for publication in special issues of international journals after their papers are extended to a full-length paper and pass a review process. More information can be found athttp://www.bih-amt.com/publications/ *** Topics and Areas *** Please find the topics and areas of interest of the 2015 International Conference on Brain Informatics and Health (BIH'15) athttp://www.bih-amt.com/call-for-papers/topics/ *** AMT'15 Session *** The advance of wearable sensor technology makes the monitoring of human behavior and life style becomes feasible. This development gives the active media technology a new dimension which is more closely related to the healthcare and cognitive studies. Following the success of past conferences in this series, AMT'15 will be jointly held with BIH?15 as a special session. *** Contact Information *** Chao Wu, Imperial College London, UK Aldo Faisal, Imperial College London, UK Conference Organisation: General Chairs: Karl Friston, (Scientific Director, Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, UK) Yike Guo, (Director of Data Science Institute, Imperial College London, UK) Program Chairs: Aldo Faisal, Imperial College London & MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, UK Sean Hill, EPFL, Switzerland Hanchuan Peng, Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA Workshop/Special-Session Chairs: Andreas Holzinger, Medical University Graz & Graz University of Technology, Austria Zhisheng Huang, Vrije University of Amsterdam, Netherlands David Powers, Flinders University of South Australia, Australia Publicity Chairs: Jessica Turner, Georgia State University, USA; Juan D. Velasquez, University of Chile, Chile Yi Zeng, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Local Organizing Chairs: Thomas Heinis, Imperial College London, UK Kai Sun, Imperial College London, UK Chao Wu, Imperial College London, UK Exhibition/Sponsorship Chair: Caroline Li, University of Kent, UK Steering Committee Co-Chairs: Ning Zhong, Maebashi Institute of Technology, Japan Jiming Liu, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong From smart at neuralcorrelate.com Mon May 18 12:34:38 2015 From: smart at neuralcorrelate.com (Susana Martinez-Conde) Date: Mon, 18 May 2015 12:34:38 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: TOP 10 illusions of 2015 In-Reply-To: <01a801d09188$0bf63910$23e2ab30$@neuralcorrelate.com> References: <01a801d09188$0bf63910$23e2ab30$@neuralcorrelate.com> Message-ID: <020201d09188$889a55a0$99cf00e0$@neuralcorrelate.com> The Best Illusion of the Year Contest is happy to announce the TOP TEN illusions of 2015! The Best Illusion of the Year Contest is now an annual online event, in which anybody with an internet connection can participate! No matter where you live, you will be able to vote for the TOP THREE winners from the current TOP TEN list! Worldwide voting will take place in June - stay tuned for further information about the voting date and instructions! All TOP TEN finalists will receive a commemorative plaque. In addition, the TOP THREE winners will receive a $3,000 award for first place; a $2,000 award for second place, and a $1,000 award for third place. 2015 TOP TEN ILLUSION CONTESTANTS (alphabetical order by first author): Masashi Atarashi: "Snow Blind Illusion". Physics teacher at Aichi Prefectural Gojo Senior High School (Japan) Luke Bashford and Carsten Mehring: "The third hand illusion". Bernstein Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg (Germany) Marco Bertamini and Nicola Bruno: "The Honeycomb Illusion". University of Liverpool (UK) Christopher Blair, Lars Strother, and Gideon Caplovitz: "The Wandering Circles". University of Nevada, Reno (USA) Nicolas Davidenko: "Motion Pareidolia". University of California, Santa Cruz (USA) Rosa Lafer-Sousa: "Disambiguating #theDress". Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) Michael Pickard: "The Day it Rained on Lowry". VisuallyDirectedDesign.com (UK) Arthur Shapiro: "The Star Wars Scroll Illusion". American University (USA) Kokichi Sugihara" "Ambiguous Garage Roof". Meiji University (Japan) Mark Vergeer: "Splitting Colors". KU Leuven (Belgium) On behalf of the Executive Board of the Neural Correlate Society: Jose-Manuel Alonso, Stephen Macknik, Susana Martinez-Conde, Luis Martinez, Xoana Troncoso, Peter Tse The Neural Correlate Society is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 non-profit organization, whose mission is to promote the public awareness of neuroscience research. ----------------------------------- Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Physiology & Pharmacology Director, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience Scholar, Empire Innovator Program State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center 450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn NY 11203, USA Email: smart at neuralcorrelate.com Phone: +1 718-270-4520 http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From terry at salk.edu Tue May 19 23:41:54 2015 From: terry at salk.edu (Terry Sejnowski) Date: Tue, 19 May 2015 20:41:54 -0700 Subject: Connectionists: NEURAL COMPUTATION - June 1, 2015 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Neural Computation - Volume 27, Number 6 - June 1, 2015 Available online for download now: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/neco/27/6 ----- Articles Homeostatic Plasticity for Single Node Delay-Coupled Reservoir Computing. Hazem Toutounji, Johannes Schumacher, and Gordon Pipa Surrogate Population Models for Large-scale Neural Simulations. Bryan P Tripp Letters Regulation of Local Ambient GABA Levels via Transporter-mediated GABA Import and Export for Subliminal Learning. Osamu Hoshino Cortical Spatio-Temporal Dimensionality Reduction for Visual Grouping. Giacomo Cocci, Davide Barbieri, Giovanna Citti, and Alessandro Sarti Time-scale Separation in Recurrent Neural Networks. Thomas Flynn Refined Generalization Bounds of Gradient Learning Over Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces. Shaogao Lv FastMMD: Ensemble of Circular Discrepancy for Efficient Two-Sample Test. Ji Zhao, Deyu Meng ------------ ON-LINE -- http://www.mitpressjournals.org/neuralcomp SUBSCRIPTIONS - 2015 - VOLUME 27 - 12 ISSUES Student/Retired $75 Individual $134 Institution $1,075 MIT Press Journals, One Rogers Street, Cambridge, MA 02142-1209 Tel: (617) 253-2889 FAX: (617) 577-1545 journals-cs at mit.edu ------------ From tbesold at uni-osnabrueck.de Tue May 19 08:44:04 2015 From: tbesold at uni-osnabrueck.de (Tarek R. Besold) Date: Tue, 19 May 2015 14:44:04 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: 1st Call for Papers: Neural-Cognitive Integration @ KI 2015 (September 22, 2015) Message-ID: <4D7C06B8-9198-4242-9D24-8647F53CC42D@uni-osnabrueck.de> === NEURAL-COGNITIVE INTEGRATION @ KI 2015 === 1st Call for Papers for the Workshop on Neural-Cognitive Integration (TU Dresden, Germany, September 22, 2015) --- collocated with --- KI 2015, the 38th German Conference on Artificial Intelligence (TU Dresden, Germany, September 21 to 25, 2015). === WORKSHOP WEBPAGE === https://sites.google.com/site/nciki2015/home === WORKSHOP GOALS === The aim of the interdisciplinary workshop is to bring together recent work addressing questions related to open issues in neural-cognitive integration, i.e., research trying to bridge the gap(s) between different levels of description, explanation, representation, and computation in symbolic and sub-symbolic paradigms, and which sheds light onto canonical solutions or principled approaches occurring in the context of neural-cognitive integration. === WORKSHOP TOPIC & MOTIVATION(S) === A seamless coupling between learning and reasoning is commonly taken as basis for intelligence in humans and, in close analogy, also for the biologically-inspired (re-)creation of human-level intelligence with computational means. Still, one of the unsolved methodological core issues in AI, cognitive systems modelling, and cognitive neuroscience is the question of the integration between connectionist sub-symbolic (i.e., neural-level) and logic-based symbolic (i.e., cognitive-level) approaches to representation, computation, (mostly sub-symbolic) learning, and (mostly symbolic) reasoning. Researchers therefore have for years been interested in the relation between sub-symbolic/neural and symbolic/cognitive modes of representation and computation: The brain has a neural structure which operates on the basis of low-level processing of perceptual signals, but cognition also exhibits the capability to perform high-level reasoning and symbol processing. Against this background, symbolic/cognitive interpretations of ANN architectures seem desirable as possible sources of an additional (bridging) level of explanation of cognitive phenomena of the human brain (assuming that suitably chosen ANN models correspond in a meaningful way to their biological counterparts). Furthermore, so called neural-symbolic representations and computations promise the integration of several complementary properties: the interpretability, the possibilities of direct control, coding, and knowledge extraction offered by symbolic/cognitive paradigms, together with the higher degree of biological motivation, the learning capacities, robust fault-tolerant processing, and generalization capabilities to similar input known from sub-symbolic/neural models. Recent years have seen new developments in the modelling and analysis of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and in formal methods for investigating the properties of general forms of representation and computation. As result, new and more adequate tools for relating the sub-symbolic/neural and the symbolic/cognitive levels of representation, computation, and (consequently) explanation seem to have become available, allowing to gain new perspectives on and insights into the interplay and possibilities of cross-level bridging and integration between paradigms. Also, more theoretical and conceptual work in cognitive science and philosophy of mind and cognition has found its way into AI as exemplified, for instance, by the growing number of projects following an ?embodied approach? to AI, in doing so hoping to solve or avoid, among others, the current mismatch between neural and symbolic perspectives on cognition and intelligence. === WORKSHOP SCOPE === This workshop aims to gather researchers from different disciplines interested in (some of) the questions mentioned under "Topic and Motivation" and/or working on some aspect of neural-cognitive integration, either on a representational, computational, or explanatory level. The list of relevant topics includes but is clearly not limited to: ? Representations of symbolic knowledge by connectionist systems or the extraction of symbolic knowledge from connectionist systems; ? Neurally-inspired approaches to learning over symbolic representations; ? Integration of logic and probabilities; ? Structured and/or relational learning in neural paradigms; ? Integrated neural-cognitive approaches; ? Logical reasoning carried out by neural networks or classification/categorization done by symbolic systems; ? Biologically or cognitively inspired systems integrating (elements of) both perspectives; ? Applications of neural-cognitive systems especially to cognition-related tasks; ? Philosophical aspects of neural-cognitive interaction and/or integration. In order to allow for a maximally integrative approach and an open discussion this workshop encourages researchers not only to present research papers but also position papers, and to address controversial problems, questions, or perspectives. === DATES === The current schedule is: - Paper submission deadline: July 1, 2015 - Notification of acceptance: July 27, 2015 - Camera-ready versions due: August 10, 2015 - Workshop date: September 21 or 22, 2015 === SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS === In order to accommodate for the different publishing traditions in different fields, we invite submissions of papers and extended abstracts. Papers: Similar to the KI 2015 main conference, we invite papers which have to be in English and formatted according to the Springer LNCS style. Papers can be submitted in one of the two following categories: - Full technical papers (12 pages max., excluding references). - Technical notes (6 pages max., excluding references). For further details on the formatting and submission categories, please see the KI 2015 submission instructions ( http://ki2015.computational-logic.org/submission.php ). Extended abstracts: Abstracts (which have to be in English) should have a length of 600-1000 words (plus references) in plain text or PDF, plus a short abstract of up to 120 words. Abstracts should (similar to papers) also be formatted according to the Springer LNCS style. Submissions should be sent by the above stated deadline to Tarek R. Besold at tarek(dot)besold(at)uos(dot)de. === PUBLICATION === Accepted papers and abstracts will be published online in the ?Publication Series of the Institute of Cognitive Science? (PICS, ISSN 1610-5389), a scientific series from the Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabr?ck, unless the authors instruct us otherwise. 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, Oxford University Press. === COMMITTEES === Workshop Co-Chairs - Tarek R. Besold, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabr?ck, Germany - Kai-Uwe K?hnberger, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabr?ck, Germany Program Committee - James Davidson, Google Inc., USA - Sascha Fink, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany - Luis Lamb, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil - Francesca Lisi, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Italy - Jakub Szymanik, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Carlos Zednik, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabr?ck, Germany ...more to come... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tarek R. Besold Institute of Cognitive Science University of Osnabr?ck (Germany) tarek.besold at uni-osnabrueck.de -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From simone.seeger at zi-mannheim.de Tue May 19 05:12:57 2015 From: simone.seeger at zi-mannheim.de (Seeger, Simone) Date: Tue, 19 May 2015 09:12:57 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Bernstein Conference: Extended deadline for abstract submission Message-ID: <68B5BBF569FEF84891D3AAB4D3141E458CEB9296@ZIMAIL2.Zi.local> ***Deadline for abstract submission extended to May 29, 2015*** Call for Abstracts: Bernstein Conference 2015 ************************************************************** Satellite Workshops September 14, 2015 Main Conference September 15-17, 2015 ************************************************************** The Bernstein Conference has become the largest annual Computational Neuroscience Conference in Europe and now regularly attracts more than 500 international participants. This year, the Conference is organized by the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg-Mannheim and will take place on September 15-17, 2015, in Heidelberg. In addition, there will be a series of pre-conference satellite workshops on September 14, 2015. The Bernstein Conference is a single-track conference, covering all aspects of Computational Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, and sessions for poster presentations are an integral part of the conference. We now invite the submission of abstracts for poster presentations from all relevant areas. Accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). Additionally, a small number of abstracts will be selected for contributed talks. DETAILS FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION: For abstract submission visit: http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2015/abstracts Please note that the submission of an abstract does not replace the conference registration! Conference registration is possible here. Abstract submission deadline extended to May 29, 2015! CONFERENCE DETAILS: Venue: Satellite Workshops and Main Conference, "Neue Universit?t", Grabengasse 3-5 ("Universit?tsplatz"), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany Registration: Conference Registration started on April 27, 2015 Early registration deadline: July 24, 2015 For registration and for more information on the conference, please visit the website: http://www.bernstein-conference.de PUBLIC PHD STUDENT EVENT: September 17-18, 2015 PUBLIC LECTURE: September 15, 2015 FOR THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: Peter Bastian We look forward to seeing you in Heidelberg in September! *** Simone Seeger, M.A. Administration Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Zentralinstitut f?r Seelische Gesundheit Postfach 12 21 20, 68072 Mannheim J5, 68159 Mannheim Telefon: 0621/1703-1326 oder 06221/54-8310 Fax: 0621/1703-2915 E-Mail: Simone.Seeger at zi-mannheim.de Internet: http://www.bccn-heidelberg-mannheim.de -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From S.J.Eglen at damtp.cam.ac.uk Tue May 19 11:56:48 2015 From: S.J.Eglen at damtp.cam.ac.uk (Stephen Eglen) Date: Tue, 19 May 2015 16:56:48 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Strasbourg workshop 7-9 December 2015 Message-ID: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From Maps to Circuits: Models and Mechanisms for Generating Neural Connections http://maps2015.org 7-9 December 2015 Strasbourg, France Understanding the development of the nervous system is a key challenge that has been approached by both experimental and theoretical neuroscientists. In recent years there has been a gradual move towards the two groups working more with each other. The idea of this workshop is to bring key people together who have shown an interest at combining theoretical and experimental techniques to discuss current problems in neuronal development, and plan future collaborative efforts. Time at the end of each day will be devoted to a group discussion about questions that have been raised during the day to identify possible research directions and people willing to pursue them. This meeting follows on from our first meeting on this theme held in Edinburgh, July 2014 (details at http://maps2014.org); a special issue of Developmental Neurobiology was devoted to papers related to work presented at this meeting, see http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dneu.v75.6/issuetoc Confirmed speakers Jianhua Cang (Northwestern University) Claudia Clopath (Imperial College London), Robert Datta (Harvard Medical School) Stephen Eglen (University of Cambridge) Marla Feller (University California Berkeley) Patricia Gaspar (?cole des Neurosciences de Paris) David Holcman (?cole Normale Sup?rieure Paris) Andrew Huberman (University California San Diego) Siegrid L?wel (Georg-August-Universit?t G?ttingen) Christian Lohmann (Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience) Till Marquardt (European Neuroscience Institute, G?ttingen) Filippo Rijli (Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel) Jennifer Rodger (University of Western Australia) Charles Stevens (Salk Institute) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From martin.pyka at gmail.com Wed May 20 08:31:40 2015 From: martin.pyka at gmail.com (Martin Pyka) Date: Wed, 20 May 2015 14:31:40 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: free SVG figure of the rat hippocampus and entorhinal cortex Message-ID: <555C7EAC.3050006@gmail.com> Hi everybody, I just would like to share with you a free svg model of the rat hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. The svg file contains several layers which can be activated and deactivated in Inkscape depending on the degree of detail you would like to see. You can use this model and any modifications of it freely and without any citations in your publications and presentations. I opened a Github repository for this and potential other models https://github.com/MartinPyka/NeuroSVG If anybody finds errors or would upload an improved version of the file or create other neuroscientific SVG drawings, feel free to submit pull requests or sign up to collaborate! Kudos go to master student Stefanie Bothe (StefanieBothe at gmx.de) who conducted the literature search and created the initial version of this figure. Best, Martin -- Dr. Martin Pyka Ruhr-University Bochum Mercator Research Group "Structure of Memory" Faculty of Psychology Universitaetsstr. 150 44801 Bochum Germany Room: GA 04/ 46 Phone: +49-234- 32 24682 Fax: +49-234- 32 14463 Email: m.pyka at rub.de Web: http://www.martinpyka.de http://cns.mrg1.rub.de/index.php/people/128-martin-pyka https://www.shapeways.com/designer/MartinPyka From smednick at ucr.edu Wed May 20 11:23:22 2015 From: smednick at ucr.edu (Sara C. Mednick) Date: Wed, 20 May 2015 11:23:22 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: lab coordinator position Message-ID: We are seeking a full-time lab manager position in Sara Mednick?s Sleep and Cognition (SaC) Lab at UC Riverside. The Sleep and Cognition (SaC) Lab is interested in understanding who we are as humans by investigating how we form memories. Our research investigates: Basic mechanisms of encoding, consolidation and retrieval Sleep-dependent consolidation processes Neuromodulators associated with memory formation Performance enhancement using pharmacology and sleep Computational models of sleep-dependent learning We are currently funded by NIH, NSF, and the Department of Defense. The position requires a Bachelor's degree and computer skills (Matlab programming knowledge is a plus). Duties include recruiting and running subjects, managing undergraduate research assistants, orchestrating dozens of projects conducted by postdocs, graduate students and undergraduate researchers, overseeing day-to-day operations, helping with IRB protocols, and helping with data analysis. Experience in a sleep lab is favorable but not necessary. This position includes the opportunity to pursue a variety of research opportunities that can result in authorship on academic publications. We are specifically looking for someone interested in pursuing an academic career. All previous lab managers gained authorship on several manuscripts and became grad students either in the SaC lab or a different graduate program in psychology. Superb organizational skills are a must, as the position requires simultaneously overseeing several projects and maintaining a large corpus of data from EEG, fMRI (UCR is getting an fMRI scanner in Dec 2015), and behavioral measures. Preference will be given to those with prior related research experiences and/or an interest in future research. The position is to start in August 2015 (with some flexibility), and a one-year commitment is required (with the possibility of additional time). Interested applicants should email Sara Mednick at smednick at ucr.edu and include a CV/Resume and the names and contact information for 3 references. Information about the research program can be seen here: www.sleepandcognitionlab.org -- Assistant Professor University of California, Riverside Department of Psychology Sleep and Cognition (SaC) Lab www.saramednick.com www.sleepandcognitionlab.org TEDx Talk Amandla awethu! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From silvio.sabatini at unige.it Wed May 20 10:39:26 2015 From: silvio.sabatini at unige.it (Silvio P. Sabatini) Date: Wed, 20 May 2015 16:39:26 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: =?utf-8?q?PhD_position=2C_University_of_Genoa=2C_?= =?utf-8?q?Italy_=E2=80=93_=22Multidimensional_peripersonal_space_sensing?= =?utf-8?q?=22?= Message-ID: <555C9C9E.7060509@unige.it> Applications are invited for one full-time PhD studentship (with scholarship) for a period of 3 years, at the PSPC-lab of the Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and System Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, Italy. * RESEARCH THEME "Integration of motion-in-depth multi-sensory information flows in the peripersonal space". Description: While there is a growing evidence that the space immediately around the body (i.e., the peripersonal space) is coded in a distributed way across several coexisting reference frames, our knowledge of how different representations are aligned, adapt, and interact is still in its infancy. Where, when, and how does the brain implement the internal models underlying the sensorimotor transformations that guide both our actions and perceptions? Is the encoding of sensory information static, or does it change dynamically as the action unfolds? Looking for answers to these questions should help understanding how an agent should use sensing and proprioception-like signals dynamically to build sensorimotor representations of peripersonal space and self-calibrate. Within the research framework developed in the PSPC lab at DIBRIS, the goal of the project is to investigate how different cross-modal information can enable arm and hand-related actions in the peripersonal space. Specifically, the focus will be on the development of a neuromorphic cognitive system for detecting/encoding motion-in-depth multimodal information flows relative to body parts. The underlying models, besides advancing experimental predictions about neuronal activity, are expected to drive learning of meaningful interactions with the environment thus achieving fluid multi-dimensional motor control in the presence of multiple sensory channels, and with minimal a priori knowledge. Requirements: background in bioengineering, computer science, physics or related disciplines, strong interest in computational and theoretical neuroscience. The project will provide the opportunity to work on neural modeling, visual psychophysics, robotics, or a combination of them. Experimental, modeling, and theoretical approaches might be pursued with a different accent according to personal attitude. Ongoing cooperation, at international level, with research groups of different disciplines, will ensure a highly interdisciplinary and stimulating environment. The position will start on Nov 1st 2015. * HOW TO APPLY Candidates must have: - a University degree at Master level (or expect to obtain it by 31 October 2015) in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics or related disciplines - strong interest in computational neuroscience, and an open mind for interdisciplinary research. Online application is available till June 10, 2015 at 12.00 noon (Italian time). Full details on the call and the application procedure will soon be available at: http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/XXXI/ENG/ and http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/index.php/how-to-apply Applicants are strongly requested to contact me (silvio.sabatini at unige.it), providing CV and qualifications, and a description of the research interests. * WHERE DIBRIS is a unique inter-school department of the University of Genoa, bridging together researchers from the former Science and Engineering Faculties. It offers an excellent multidisciplinary, interactive and collaborative research environment combining expertise in computer vision, computational neuroscience, neuromorphic computing, robotics and mechatronics. PSPC-Lab (www.pspc.unige.it), has a long-standing expertise in visual coding and multidimensional signal representation, robot perception and computer vision. In the last five years, the lab?s research activity focused on the analysis of the structural mechanisms of visuo-spatial cognition, responsible for orienting and interacting in the 3D space. Regards, -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Silvio P. SABATINI, PhD [PSPC Research Group] Professor of Bioengineering DIBRIS - University of Genova | e_mail:silvio.sabatini at unige.it Via Opera Pia, 11A | phone: +39 010 3532092/3532794 I-16145 Genova (ITALY) | fax: +39 010 3532289/3536533 URL:http://pspc.unige.it --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Imagination is more important than knowledge..." [Albert Einstein] From smednick at ucr.edu Wed May 20 12:12:36 2015 From: smednick at ucr.edu (Sara C. Mednick) Date: Wed, 20 May 2015 12:12:36 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoc position in Sleep and Cognition lab (EEG/ERP) Message-ID: We are seeking a postdoc researcher in Sara Mednick?s Sleep and Cognition (SaC) Lab in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside. This researcher will be investigating mechanisms of memory formation during waking and sleep. Successful candidates may have any of the following skills: experience in memory or sleep research (human or animal), EEG/ERP methodologies, programming skills, applying signal processing and non-linear analysis techniques to EEG recordings. Position is available in the fall of 2015. Researchers must possess a doctoral degree. The University of California offers excellent benefits. Salary is based on research experience. The initial appointment is for 1 year with a possibility of extension. Please send your CV, statement of research interests and the names of three references or make inquires to Sara C. Mednick smednick at ucr.edu. -- Assistant Professor University of California, Riverside Department of Psychology Sleep and Cognition (SaC) Lab www.saramednick.com www.sleepandcognitionlab.org TEDx Talk Amandla awethu! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dominik.endres at uni-marburg.de Fri May 22 05:34:11 2015 From: dominik.endres at uni-marburg.de (Dominik Endres) Date: Fri, 22 May 2015 11:34:11 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: PhD stipend in object/action semantics research Message-ID: <2046928.nDcV2Zh1jO@pc04174> === PHD STIPEND IN ACTION/OBJECT SEMANTICS AVAILABLE ====== A doctoral stipend for a highly motivated individual is available in the group of theoretical Neuroscience headed by Prof. Dr. Dominik Endres. The Group is located in the Department of Psychology at the Philipps-University of Marburg, Germany. The stipend is for a total of 3 years given satisfactory performance. The stipend is intended to facilitate a scientific qualification, specifically a German doctorate (PhD equivalent). _Duties_ include active, self-motivated participation in the research and teaching activities of the group, in particular the installation and running of the new _virtual-reality_ facility of the department. This facility will be used for behavioral and perceptual experiments with real and computer- generated interaction partners, to address research questions in the area of movement perception, movement control and object- and action semantics. The stipend holder's research interests should be broadly in this area, too. _Prerequisites_ are a Master's degree or German Diplom in one of the following areas: theoretical Neuroscience, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Cognitive Science or Psychology with a minor in one of the aforementioned fields. Programming experience in Python, C++ or similar are advantageous. Applications with experience in machine learning, computer graphics or behavioral experimentation will be preferred. Applicants' skills in these areas will be tested as a part of the recruitment procedure. Applications should include a letter of motivation, curriculum vitae and Master's transcripts or similar records, and the addresses of 2 referees. The initial application can be sent by email to Prof. Dr. D. Endres: dominik.endres at uni-marburg.de. Please do not sent originals by mail, because we will not be able to return them to you. We will not cover travel costs to/from Marburg for job interviews. The Philipps-University of Marburg is an equal opportunity employer. -- Prof. Dr. Dominik Endres AE Theoretische Neurowissenschaft Allgemeine und Biologische Psychologie FB Psychologie, Gutenbergstr 18, 35032 Marburg, Germany Tel. +49-(0)6421-28-23818 From irina.illina at loria.fr Fri May 22 03:51:48 2015 From: irina.illina at loria.fr (Irina Illina) Date: Fri, 22 May 2015 09:51:48 +0200 (CEST) Subject: Connectionists: post-doc position on Deep Neural Network Language Models, LORIA/INRIA France In-Reply-To: <588523460.4373931.1430827625483.JavaMail.zimbra@loria.fr> References: <834855737.2848151.1430388311014.JavaMail.zimbra@loria.fr> <341886100.2863296.1430391319236.JavaMail.zimbra@loria.fr> <1141013105.4359808.1430825792284.JavaMail.zimbra@loria.fr> <588523460.4373931.1430827625483.JavaMail.zimbra@loria.fr> Message-ID: <359548835.9476185.1432281108201.JavaMail.zimbra@loria.fr> ----- Mail original ----- Post-doc position at LORIA (Nancy, France) Automatic speech recognition: Deep Neural Network for L anguage M odel Framework of ANR project ContNomina The technologies involved in information retrieval in large audio/video databases are often based on the analysis of large, but closed, corpora, and on machine learning techniques and statistical modeling of the written and spoken language. The effectiveness of these approaches is now widely acknowledged, but they nevertheless have major flaws, particularly for what concern proper names, that are crucial for the interpretation of the content. In the context of diachronic data (data which change over time) new proper names appear constantly requiring dynamic updates of the lexicons and language models used by the speech recognition system. As a result, the ANR project ContNomina (2013-2017) focuses on the problem of proper names in automatic audio processing systems by exploiting in the most efficient way the context of the processed documents. To do this, the post-doc student will address the contextualization of the recognition module through the dynamic adjustment of the language model in order to make it more accurate. Post-doc subject Deep Neural Network have become a key component of modern automatic speech recognition systems. The language model of our recognition system is based on a neural network learned from a large corpus of text. The problem is to estimate the probability of a new proper name depending on its context. Several tracks will be explored: adapting the language model, using a class model or studying the notion of analogy. Our team has developed a fully automatic system for speech recognition to transcribe a radio broadcast from the corresponding audio file. The post-doc will develop a new module whose function is to integrate new proper names in the language model. Required skills A PhD in signal processing or in computer sciences , be familiar with the tools for automatic speech recognition, background in statistics and computer program skills (??C, object-oriented programming and Perl). Post-doc duration: 12 months, start during the 2015 (these is some flexibility) Localization and contacts: Loria laboratory, Speech team , Nancy, France i rina.illina at loria.fr dominique.fohr at loria.fr georges.linares at univ-avignon.fr Candidates should email a letter of application, a detailed CV with a list of publications and diploma Irina Illina -- Associate Professor Lorraine University LORIA-INRIA office C147 Building C 615 rue du Jardin Botanique 54600 Villers-les-Nancy Cedex Tel:+ 33 3 54 95 84 90 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Giulio.Sandini at iit.it Wed May 20 11:12:36 2015 From: Giulio.Sandini at iit.it (Giulio Sandini) Date: Wed, 20 May 2015 15:12:36 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: PhD Positions on Robotics & Neuroscience Message-ID: 9 PhD Positions (if you are truly interested in contributing to an interdisciplinary environment) Within the doctoral School on Bioengineering and Robotics the curriculum "Cognitive Robotics, Interaction and Rehabilitation Technologies" offers interdisciplinary training at the interface between robotics and neuroscience. The general objective of the program is to form scientists and research technologists capable of dealing with multidisciplinary projects involving aspects of engineering, technology and life-sciences. The PhD themes offered this year by the "Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences" (RBCS) department of IIT (www.iit.it/rbcs) are focusing on the SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF ACTION AND INTERACTION by addressing the study of the embodied and cognitive interaction between humans and machines and its technological and social outcomes. In RBCS we are merging top-level neuroscience research and top-level robotics research by sharing fundamental scientific objectives arising from the study of: * goal-directed action * speech recognition and language * the foundations of physical and social interaction * the exploitation of sensory and motor rehabilitation. RBCS is where the iCub humanoid robot is used to investigate the language of embodied, human-human and human-robot communication and it is also the place where studies of how visual, haptic and tactile integration develops in normal as well as sensory-impaired children. RBCS is where technologies for robotic rehabilitation devices are developed and tested in joint labs established in clinical environments such as the "Giannina Galsini" pediatric hospital, and the "Istituto Chiossone" for blind and low vision children in Genova, and the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) in Volterra. The ideal candidates are students with a higher level university degree willing to invest extra time and effort in blending into a multidisciplinary team composed of neuroscientists, engineers, psychologists, physicists working together to investigate brain functions and realize intelligent machines, rehabilitation protocols and advanced prosthesis. Some of the themes proposed offer the students the possibility of participating in international collaborations through EU supported exchange of researchers within dedicated Marie Sk?odowska-Curie actions. Application deadline: 10 June 2015, 12pm Italian time General Scientific Information: giulio.sandini at iit.it Administrative Information: Ilaria.dallorto at iit.it See below the information about individual themes. HOW TO APPLY Applications must be submitted online, instructions for applicants are available here: http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/index.php/how-to-apply (Cognitive Sciences, Interactive and Rehabilitation Technologies) The full description of the individual themes is available here: http://www.iit.it/images/phd-xxxi/RES.THEMES.COGNIROB.INTER.pdf) LIST OF THEMES PROPOSED BY IIT-RBCS (of the 13 themes only 9 will be assigned to the 9 best applicants) 1. ASSESSMENT OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO ENHANCE RESIDUAL SENSORY ABILITIES (Contacts: luca.brayda at iit.it , fabrizio.leo at iit.it ) 2. SIMULTANEOUS MULTIMODAL FORCE AND MOTION ESTIMATION (Contacts: francesco.nori at iit.it ) 3. FAST AND ROBUST WHOLE-BODY MOTION WITH VARIABLE STIFFNESS ACTUATORS (Contacts: francesco.nori at iit.i t, luca.fiorio at iit.it ) 4. SECOND-PERSON MOTOR COGNITION: HANDS IN INTERACTION (Contacts: cristina.becchio at unito.it ) 5. NEURAL AND MOTOR BASES OF SOCIAL INTERACTION (Contacts: thierry.pozzo at iit ; alberto.inuggi at ii.it ; alessandro.dausilio at iit.it ) 6. MULTISENSORY INTEGRATION AND CROSS-MODAL COMMUNICATION (Contacts: monica.gori at iit.it ) 7. AUGMENTED SENSORIMOTOR INTERACTION Contacts: alessandro.dausilio at iit.it ; leonardo.badino at iit.it ; luciano.fadiga at iit.it ) 8. MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING IN HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION (Contact: alessandra.sciutti at iit.it ) 9. SPEAKING IN CONCERT (Contacts: leonardo.badino at iit.it , alessandro.dausilio at iit.it , luciano.fadiga at iit.it ) 10. THE CONTROL AND REPRESENTATION OF ARTICULATED OBJECTS: INSIGHTS FROM ROBOTS (Contacts: gabriel.baud-bovy at iit.it , francesco.nori at iit.it ) 11. CONTROL AND REPRESENTATION OF ARTICULATED OBJECTS: HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN SIGHTED AND BLIND ADULTS AND CHILDREN (Contacts: gabriel.baud-bovy at iit.it , monica.gori at iit.it ) 12. MODELING OF THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING PROPRIOCEPTION FOR REHABILITATION (Contacts: valentina.squeri at iit.it , jacopo.zenzeri at iit.it ) 13. DEVELOPMENT OF A RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTING DATA SCIENCE IN AN INTERDISCIPLINARY ENVIRONMENT (Contacts: marco.jacono at iit.it , elisa.molinari at iit.it , alessandro.bruchi at iit.it ) -- Prof. Giulio Sandini Director Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego, 30 - 16163 Genova Italy http://www.iit.it/rbcs -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From friedhelm.schwenker at uni-ulm.de Fri May 22 08:58:22 2015 From: friedhelm.schwenker at uni-ulm.de (Dr. Schwenker) Date: Fri, 22 May 2015 14:58:22 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: PhD position in (bio-inspired) machine vision at Ulm University (Germany) Message-ID: <555F27EE.9050204@uni-ulm.de> Applications are invited for*one full-time PhD studentship* (in a funded project) for a period of 3 years, at the Vision and Perception Science Lab in the Institute of Neural Information Processing in the Faculty of Engineering, Computer Science, and Psychology at Ulm University, Germany. * RESEARCH THEME "Visual motion detection for behavior analysis". The vision and perception science research group, headed by Prof. Heiko Neumann at Ulm University, has an opening for a PhD position to work in the project "SenseEmotion - Multisensory recognition of pain and emotion for elderly people" funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research and Education (BMBF). The topic focuses on the analysis of motion and stereo from multiple event-based and frame-based cameras. The fusion of the input aims at augmenting high temporal resolution event-based representations with high spatial resolution feature representations that are available at a slower frame rate. The acquired vision information is used to analyze biological motion patterns of subjects in indoor scenes. We are looking for talented and highly motivated computer scientists (or people with a related background) interested in the development of novel machine vision algorithms and learning mechanisms to achieve robust high-performance analysis of complex articulated motions. An interest in biological vision is dersired, but this is not a requirement for the position. The initial appointment is for 12 months, renewable for the rest of the project duration. A start date at the earliest disposal is strongly preferred. Salary is according to the level TV-L E 13. Representative recent work relevant for the project: [1] G. Layher, M.A. Giese & H. Neumann. Learning representations of animated motion sequences - a neural model. Topics in Cognitive Science, 6, 170-182, 2014. [2] T. Brosch, S. Tschechne & H. Neumann. On event-based optical flow detection. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 9:137, 2015. * CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS - The candidate has a background in computer science, electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, or related discipline; - he/she has a strong background in computer vision and/or machine learning; - excellent programming skills are required (C/C++/Matlab/Python) - programming experience in CUDA and/or parallel computing would be a strong plus, an interest in biological vision and/or computational/cognitive neuroscience is a plus; - communicative skills are required since the candidate has to collaborate with other teams and transfer algorithms and integrate software into an overall system; - writing skills are mandatory for generating project reports and deliverables as well as creating manuscripts for publications. * RESEARCH GROUP The research group is located within the Faculty of Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology at Ulm University. The group maintains strong ties with other national and international research groups. The group is member of the Baden-W?rttemberg initiative for building high-performance computing facilities HPC Clusters (bwForCluster ENM) and has access to state-of-the-art computing facilities as well as lab space for eye movement recording and inertial motion data capturing. Information about Prof. Neumann and his research group can be found athttp://www.uni-ulm.de/in/neuroinformatik/mitarbeiter/h-neumann.html or athttp://www.informatik.uni-ulm.de/ni/mitarbeiter/HNeumann/index.html. * HOW TO APPLY? Please send your applications (in one file in pdf format) by email toheiko.neumann at uni-ulm.de. The application should include a brief statement of interests, a curriculum vitae, two letters of reference, a list of publications (if already available), and contact details (postal mailing address, email address, skype address). There is no deadline for the application but applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as the position will be filled as soon as a suitable applicant is found. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From compsens at medizin.uni-tuebingen.de Wed May 20 05:52:56 2015 From: compsens at medizin.uni-tuebingen.de (Compsens) Date: Wed, 20 May 2015 11:52:56 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: =?utf-8?q?Phd__Position=2C_University_of_T=C3=BCb?= =?utf-8?q?ingen=2C_Germany?= Message-ID: <20150520115256.138123r6dowfiuew@webmail.uni-tuebingen.de> PHD POSITION: LEARNING OF COGNITIVE REPRESENTATIONS FOR HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION ============================================================ The Section for Computational Sensomotorics at the Center for Integrative Neurosciences and the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research at the University of Tuebingen invites applications for a Postdoc or a PhD student, preferably with a good mathematical background for a maximum duration of 4 years. The position is funded within the EC research project COGIMON that includes multiple other European partners. This highly interdisciplinary project aims at the development of control algorithms and strategies for the interaction between humans and humanoid robots, ultimately leading also to biomedical applications. The available project focuses on the development of machine learning algorithms for the representation and control of interactive full-body movements, in close interaction with experiments with human subjects. This includes work with human motion capture data and marker-less tracking, techniques from computer animation, and related problems in control, exploiting appropriate techniques from machine learning. Our group has long expertise with the modeling and perception of complex human body motion. We are part of the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Science (HIH), one of the leading European institutions in Clinical Neuroscience and of the Excellence Center for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN) that hosts a large spectrum of experimental and theoretical groups in neuroscience at the University and the Max Planck Institutes. Ideal candidates should have the following qualifications: * Masters (PhD) degree in Computer Science, Electrical / Mechanical / Biomedical Engineering, Physics, or related fields with good mathematical training * programming experience (Matlab, C/C++, ...) * Knowledge about control theory 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, Otfried-M?ller. 25, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; email: martin.giese at uni-tuebingen.de ================================================== Section for Theoretical Sensomotorics Dept. for Cognitive Neurology Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research & Center for Integrative Neuroscience University of Tuebingen Otfried-M?ller Str. 25 D-72076 Tuebingen GERMANY Tel.: +49 7071 2989124 Fax: +49 7071 294790 Email: martin.giese at uni-tuebingen.de Web: http://www.compsens.uni-tuebingen.de/ ============================================== From terry at salk.edu Wed May 20 10:05:00 2015 From: terry at salk.edu (Terry Sejnowski) Date: Wed, 20 May 2015 07:05:00 -0700 Subject: Connectionists: NEURAL COMPUTATION - May 1, 2015 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Neural Computation - Volume 27, Number 5 - May 1, 2015 Available online for download now: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/neco/27/5 ----- Article Self-Organization of Control Circuits for Invariant Fiber Projections Tomas Fernandes, Christoph von der Malsburg Letters A Computationally-efficient Method for Incorporating Spike Waveform Information Into Decoding Algorithms Valerie Ventura, Sonia Todorova Coding Accuracy Is Not Fully Determined by the Neuronal Model Lubomir Kostal, Petr Lansky Solving Stereo Transparency With an Extended Coarse-to-fine Disparity Energy Model Zhe Li, Ning Qian Simultaneous Multi-Channel Signal Transfers Via Chaos in a Recurrent Neural Network Ken-ichiro Soma, Ryota Mori, Ryuichi Sato, Noriyuki Furumai, and Shigetoshi Nara Input Anticipating Critical Reservoirs Show Power Law Forgetting of Unexpected Input Events Norbert Michael Mayer Learning Dynamics of a Single Polar Variable Complex-Valued Neuron Tohru Nitta On-line EM With Weight-Based Forgetting Enric Celaya, Alejandro Agostini ------------ ON-LINE -- http://www.mitpressjournals.org/neuralcomp SUBSCRIPTIONS - 2015 - VOLUME 27 - 12 ISSUES Student/Retired $75 Individual $134 Institution $1,075 MIT Press Journals, One Rogers Street, Cambridge, MA 02142-1209 Tel: (617) 253-2889 FAX: (617) 577-1545 journals-cs at mit.edu ------------ From Vittorio.Murino at iit.it Thu May 21 11:47:54 2015 From: Vittorio.Murino at iit.it (Vittorio Murino) Date: Thu, 21 May 2015 17:47:54 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: [PhD call] 2015 Doctoral Course on Sciences & Technologies For Electronics & Telecommunication - Curriculum in Computer Vision, Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning Message-ID: <555DFE2A.4030302@iit.it> Apologise for multiple posting --------------------------- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT - www.iit.it) together with the University of Genova opened the call for the 2015 Doctoral Course on Sciences & Technologies For Electronics & Telecommunication - Curriculum in Computer Vision, Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning In this context, Ph.D. positions are available at the Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision (PAVIS) dept. to work in Computer Vision, Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning, and more specifically on the following themes: Theme A: Computer vision for behavioral analysis and activity recognition Theme B: Computer vision for the prediction of human intentions Theme C: Part-based human body modeling for Socially-Aware Computer Vision Theme D: Crowd behavioral analysis and event recognition Theme E: Re-identification using soft biometric cues Theme F: Long term visual learning for 3D scene understanding Theme G: Biomedical imaging and connectomics analysis Theme H: Animal behavior analysis More info on the above research topics can be found at: http://iit.it/images/phd-xxxi/ResearchThemes_IIT-PAVIS.pdf or directly asked to Prof. V. Murino (vittorio.murino at iit.it) or any other tutor indicated for each theme. The PhD program on the listed themes will take place at the PAVIS department of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) located in Genova (www.iit.it) The department focuses on activities related to the analysis and understanding of images and patterns in general, thus representing a reference for the other IIT Departments and labs which have to deal with such kind of data. The PAVIS staff has a wide expertise on image processing, computer vision and pattern recognition, machine learning, and related applications. Actually, the research in PAVIS is devoted to study and to build intelligent systems for real applications, especially related, but not limited, to surveillance & security, biomedical imaging, and bioinformatics. One of the primary goals is to design and develop innovative video surveillance systems, characterized by the use of highly-functional smart sensors and advanced video analytics features. To this end, PAVIS performs cutting edge research in computer vision and pattern recognition, but also in biometrics, multimodal data and sensor fusion, sensors networks, and embedded computer vision. Further, another target of the lab is to explore novel strategies in biomedical image analysis and bioinformatics, due to the versatility of the techniques it can manage. You can also browse the PAVIS webpages to see our activities and research at: http://www.iit.it/pavis.html To apply, follow the instructions indicated in the links, in short: a detailed CV, a research proposal under one or more themes chosen among those above indicated, reference letters, and any other formal document concerning the degrees earned. Notice that these documents are mandatory in order to consider valid the application. IMPORTANT: You need to specify the theme (one or more) you want to apply and include a research statement (research proposal/project/plan/rationale) on such theme. ONLINE APPLICATION DEADLINE is June 10th, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. (noon ? Italian time/CET) Strict deadline, no extension. APPLICATIONS are possible through ONLINE PROCEDURE ONLY, look at: http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/XXXI/ For more information on administrative issues, please e-mail: pavis at iit.it -- Vittorio Murino ******************************************* Prof. Vittorio Murino, Ph.D. Director PAVIS - Pattern Analysis & Computer Vision IIT Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 16163 Genova, Italy Phone: +39 010 71781 504 Mobile: +39 329 6508554 Fax: +39 010 71781 236 E-mail: vittorio.murino at iit.it Secretary: Sara Curreli email: sara.curreli at iit.it Phone: +39 010 71781 917 http://www.iit.it/pavis ******************************************** From bobd at waikato.ac.nz Thu May 21 19:35:25 2015 From: bobd at waikato.ac.nz (Bob Durrant) Date: Fri, 22 May 2015 11:35:25 +1200 Subject: Connectionists: [CFP] Final call for papers - KDD2015 Workshop on Learning from Small Sample Sizes Message-ID: <555E6BBD.1030502@waikato.ac.nz> With apologies for cross-posting. Please feel free to bring this workshop to the attention of any students, postdocs or colleagues who may be interested. ======================================================================== *Call for Papers - KDD2015 Workshop on Learning from Small Sample Sizes* https://sites.google.com/site/smallsamplesizes Submission site: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ls3 Submission deadline: 23:59 Pacific Standard Time on Friday 5th June 2015 ======================================================================== *Overview* The small sample size ( or "large-p small-n") problem is a perennial in the world of Big Data. A frequent occurrence in medical imaging, computer vision, omics and bioinformatics it describes the situation where the number of features p, in the tens of thousands or more, far exceeds the sample size n, usually in the tens. Datamining, statistical parameter estimation, and predictive modelling are all particularly challenging in such a setting. Moreover in all fields where the large-p small-n problem is a sensitive issue (and actually also in many others) current technology is moving towards higher resolution in sensing and recording while, in practice, sample size is often bounded by hard limits or cost constraints. Meanwhile even modest improvements in performance for modelling these information-rich complex data promise significant cost savings or advances in knowledge. On the other hand it is becoming clear that "large-p small-n" is too broad a categorization for these problems and progress is still possible in the small sample setting either (1) in the presence of side information - such as related unlabelled data (semi-supervised learning), related learning tasks (transfer learning), or informative priors (domain knowledge) - to further constrain the problem, or (2) provided that data have low complexity, in some problem-specific sense, that we are able to take advantage of. Concrete examples of such low-complexity include: a large margin between classes (classification), a sparse representation of data in some known linear basis (compressed sensing), a sparse weight vector (regression), or a sparse correlation structure (parameter estimation). However we do not know what other properties of data, if any, act to make it "easy" or "hard" to work with in terms of the sample size required for some specific class of problems. For example: anti-learnable datasets in genomics are from the same domain as many eminently learnable datasets. Is anti-learnability then just a problem of data quality, the result of an unlucky draw of a small sample, or is there something deeper that makes such data inherently difficult to work with compared to other apparently similar data? This workshop will bring together researchers working on different kinds of challenges where the common thread is the small sample size problem. It will provide a forum for exchanging theoretical and empirical knowledge of small sample problems, and for sharing insight into which data structures facilitate progress on particular families of problems - even with a small sample size - and which do the opposite or when these break down. A further specific goal of this workshop is to make a start on building links between the many disparate fields working with small data samples, with the ultimate aim of creating a multi-disciplinary research network devoted to this common issue. We seek papers on all aspects of learning from small sample sizes, from any problem domain where this issue is prevalent (e.g. bioinformatics and omics, machine vision, anomaly detection, drug discovery, medical imaging, multi-label classification, multi-task classification, density-based clustering/density estimation, and others). In particular: *Theoretical and empirical analyses of learning from small samples:* Which properties of data support, or prevent, learning from a small sample? Which forms of side information support learning from a small sample? When do guarantees break down? In theory? In practice? *Techniques and algorithms targeted at small sample size learning.* Including, but not limited to: Semi-supervised learning. Transfer learning. Representation learning. Sparse methods. Dimensionality reduction. Application of domain knowledge/informative priors. *Reproducible case studies.* Please submit an extended abstract of no more than 8 pages, including references, diagrams, and appendices, if any. The format is the standard double column ACM Proceedings Template, Tighter Alternate style. Please submit your abstract in pdf format only via Easychair at https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ls3 Following KDD tradition reviews are not blinded, so you should include author names and affiliations in your submission. Maximum file size for submissions is 20MB. *The deadline for submission is 23:59 Pacific Standard Time on Friday 5th June 2015.* Important: Overfitting and serendipity are serious challenges to the realistic empirical assessment of approaches applied to small data samples. If you are submitting experimental findings then please give enough detail in your submission to reproduce these in full.The ideal way to ensure reproducibility is to provide code and data on the web (including scripts used for data preparation if the data provided are unprepared), and we strongly encourage authors to do this. Bob Durrant, University of Waikato, Department of Statistics (Primary Contact) Alain C. Vandal, Auckland University of Technology, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology KDD2015 Workshop on Learning from Small Sample Sizes Organisers -- Dr. Robert (Bob) Durrant, Senior Lecturer. Room G.3.30, Department of Statistics, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240 New Zealand e: bobd at waikato.ac.nz w: http://www.stats.waikato.ac.nz/~bobd/ t: +64 (0)7 838 4466 x8334 f: +64 (0)7 838 4155 From martin.pyka at gmail.com Fri May 22 16:11:29 2015 From: martin.pyka at gmail.com (Martin Pyka) Date: Fri, 22 May 2015 22:11:29 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: free SVG figure of the rat hippocampus and entorhinal cortex In-Reply-To: <61914ACA-8CFD-41CE-83FF-52791F7B50D5@inria.fr> References: <555C7EAC.3050006@gmail.com> <61914ACA-8CFD-41CE-83FF-52791F7B50D5@inria.fr> Message-ID: <555F8D71.90809@gmail.com> Thanks for the suggestions. I thought already about that. I think, the scholarpedia-article could need a depiction of its network structure. In the Wikipedia-article I find it a bit harder to replace one of the figures with mine, as the camera-lucida sort of drawing is also not bad. Will think about it and maybe make a suggestion to the editors. Best, Martin Am 22.05.2015 21:58, schrieb Nicolas P. Rougier: > Very nice. Thank you very much for sharing your work. > > I would suggest to upload it at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocampus and http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Hippocampus > > > Best, > Nicolas Rougier. > > >> On 20 May 2015, at 14:31, Martin Pyka wrote: >> >> Hi everybody, >> >> I just would like to share with you a free svg model of the rat hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. The svg file contains several layers which can be activated and deactivated in Inkscape depending on the degree of detail you would like to see. You can use this model and any modifications of it freely and without any citations in your publications and presentations. >> >> I opened a Github repository for this and potential other models >> >> https://github.com/MartinPyka/NeuroSVG >> >> If anybody finds errors or would upload an improved version of the file or create other neuroscientific SVG drawings, feel free to submit pull requests or sign up to collaborate! >> >> Kudos go to master student Stefanie Bothe (StefanieBothe at gmx.de) who conducted the literature search and created the initial version of this figure. >> >> Best, >> Martin >> >> >> >> -- >> Dr. Martin Pyka >> Ruhr-University Bochum >> Mercator Research Group "Structure of Memory" >> Faculty of Psychology >> Universitaetsstr. 150 >> 44801 Bochum >> Germany >> >> Room: GA 04/ 46 >> Phone: +49-234- 32 24682 >> Fax: +49-234- 32 14463 >> Email: m.pyka at rub.de >> Web: >> http://www.martinpyka.de >> http://cns.mrg1.rub.de/index.php/people/128-martin-pyka >> https://www.shapeways.com/designer/MartinPyka >> >> From Nicolas.Rougier at inria.fr Fri May 22 15:58:52 2015 From: Nicolas.Rougier at inria.fr (Nicolas P. Rougier) Date: Fri, 22 May 2015 21:58:52 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: free SVG figure of the rat hippocampus and entorhinal cortex In-Reply-To: <555C7EAC.3050006@gmail.com> References: <555C7EAC.3050006@gmail.com> Message-ID: <61914ACA-8CFD-41CE-83FF-52791F7B50D5@inria.fr> Very nice. Thank you very much for sharing your work. I would suggest to upload it at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocampus and http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Hippocampus Best, Nicolas Rougier. > On 20 May 2015, at 14:31, Martin Pyka wrote: > > Hi everybody, > > I just would like to share with you a free svg model of the rat hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. The svg file contains several layers which can be activated and deactivated in Inkscape depending on the degree of detail you would like to see. You can use this model and any modifications of it freely and without any citations in your publications and presentations. > > I opened a Github repository for this and potential other models > > https://github.com/MartinPyka/NeuroSVG > > If anybody finds errors or would upload an improved version of the file or create other neuroscientific SVG drawings, feel free to submit pull requests or sign up to collaborate! > > Kudos go to master student Stefanie Bothe (StefanieBothe at gmx.de) who conducted the literature search and created the initial version of this figure. > > Best, > Martin > > > > -- > Dr. Martin Pyka > Ruhr-University Bochum > Mercator Research Group "Structure of Memory" > Faculty of Psychology > Universitaetsstr. 150 > 44801 Bochum > Germany > > Room: GA 04/ 46 > Phone: +49-234- 32 24682 > Fax: +49-234- 32 14463 > Email: m.pyka at rub.de > Web: > http://www.martinpyka.de > http://cns.mrg1.rub.de/index.php/people/128-martin-pyka > https://www.shapeways.com/designer/MartinPyka > > From frank.kargl at uni-ulm.de Mon May 25 06:05:44 2015 From: frank.kargl at uni-ulm.de (Frank Kargl) Date: Mon, 25 May 2015 12:05:44 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: Full Professor Position (W3) on Learning Systems at Ulm University, Germany Message-ID: The Faculty of Engineering and Computer Sciences at Ulm University in Germany invites applications for a tenured Full Professor Position (W3) on Learning Systems in the Institute of Neural Information Processing. More details can be found here: http://jobs.ieee.org/jobs/full-professor-position-w3-on-learning-systems-baden-wurttemberg-89081-78109186-d Best regards Frank -- Prof. Dr. Frank Kargl Institute of Distributed Systems University of Ulm, Germany Email: frank.kargl at uni-ulm.de - Web: http://www.uni-ulm.de/in/vs/ From PAVIS at iit.it Mon May 25 08:16:51 2015 From: PAVIS at iit.it (IIT PAVIS) Date: Mon, 25 May 2015 14:16:51 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: [PhD call] 2015 Doctoral Course on Sciences & Technologies For Electronics & Telecommunication - Curriculum in Computer Vision, Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning Message-ID: <556312B3.90507@iit.it> Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT - www.iit.it) together with the University of Genova opened the call for the 2015 Doctoral Course on Sciences & Technologies For Electronics & Telecommunication - Curriculum in Computer Vision, Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning In this context, Ph.D. positions are available at the Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision (PAVIS) dept. to work in Computer Vision, Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning, and more specifically on the following themes: Theme A: Computer vision for behavioral analysis and activity recognition Theme B: Computer vision for the prediction of human intentions Theme C: Part-based human body modeling for Socially-Aware Computer Vision Theme D: Crowd behavioral analysis and event recognition Theme E: Re-identification using soft biometric cues Theme F: Long term visual learning for 3D scene understanding Theme G: Biomedical imaging and connectomics analysis Theme H: Animal behavior analysis More info on the above research topics can be found at: http://iit.it/images/phd-xxxi/ResearchThemes_IIT-PAVIS.pdf or directly asked to Prof. V. Murino (vittorio.murino at iit.it) or any other tutor indicated for each theme. The PhD program on the listed themes will take place at the PAVIS department of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) located in Genova (www.iit.it) The department focuses on activities related to the analysis and understanding of images and patterns in general, thus representing a reference for the other IIT Departments and labs which have to deal with such kind of data. The PAVIS staff has a wide expertise on image processing, computer vision and pattern recognition, machine learning, and related applications. Actually, the research in PAVIS is devoted to study and to build intelligent systems for real applications, especially related, but not limited, to surveillance & security, biomedical imaging, and bioinformatics. One of the primary goals is to design and develop innovative video surveillance systems, characterized by the use of highly-functional smart sensors and advanced video analytics features. To this end, PAVIS performs cutting edge research in computer vision and pattern recognition, but also in biometrics, multimodal data and sensor fusion, sensors networks, and embedded computer vision. Further, another target of the lab is to explore novel strategies in biomedical image analysis and bioinformatics, due to the versatility of the techniques it can manage. You can also browse the PAVIS webpages to see our activities and research at: http://www.iit.it/pavis.html To apply, follow the instructions indicated in the links, in short: a detailed CV, a research proposal under one or more themes chosen among those above indicated, reference letters, and any other formal document concerning the degrees earned. Notice that these documents are mandatory in order to consider valid the application. IMPORTANT: You need to specify the theme (one or more) you want to apply and include a research statement (research proposal/project/plan/rationale) on such theme. ONLINE APPLICATION DEADLINE is June 10th, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. (noon ? Italian time/CET) Strict deadline, no extension. APPLICATIONS are possible through ONLINE PROCEDURE ONLY, look at: http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/XXXI/ For more information on administrative issues, please e-mail: pavis at iit.it -- Vittorio Murino ******************************************* Prof. Vittorio Murino, Ph.D. Director PAVIS - Pattern Analysis & Computer Vision IIT Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30 16163 Genova, Italy Phone: +39 010 71781 504 Mobile: +39 329 6508554 Fax: +39 010 71781 236 E-mail: vittorio.murino at iit.it Secretary: Sara Curreli email: sara.curreli at iit.it Phone: +39 010 71781 917 http://www.iit.it/pavis ******************************************** From yoichi.miyawaki at uec.ac.jp Mon May 25 01:04:15 2015 From: yoichi.miyawaki at uec.ac.jp (Yoichi Miyawaki) Date: Mon, 25 May 2015 14:04:15 +0900 Subject: Connectionists: JNNS2015 Call for Papers Message-ID: <5562AD4F.3040707@uec.ac.jp> 25th Annual Conference of Japanese Neural Network Society (JNNS 2015) Call for Papers Date: September 2(Wed) ? 4(Fri), 2015 Place: The University of Electro-Communications (Chofu, Tokyo) Web site:?https://jnns2015.im.uec.ac.jp/en/ Details of call for papers: https://jnns2015.im.uec.ac.jp/en/cfp/ 25th Annual Conference of Japanese Neural Network Society (JNNS 2015) will be held at The University of Electro-Communications (Chofu, Tokyo) during September 2 (Wed) ? 4 (Fri), 2015. This is an annual conference of Japanese Neural Network Society (JNNS). In this year, the conference is jointly held with Japan Society for Fuzzy Theory and Intelligent Informatics (SOFT). === Plenary Lecture === Title: Neuromorphic Computing in IBM Speaker: Koichi Kajitani (IBM Research-Tokyo) === Invited Lecture === Title: TBA Speaker: Kunihiko Fukushima (Fuzzy Logic Systems Institute) === Symposium === 1. Present status and problems of brain and mathematical models, and future prediction Speakers: Shinya Nishida (NTT CS Lab), Shinji Nishimoto (CiNet/Osaka Univ.), Hiroshi Yamakawa (dwango) 2. High-performance computing technology accelerates neural network simulation Speakers: Jun Igarashi (OIST), Tetsuya Asai (Hokkaido Univ.), Hirotsugu Okuno (Osaka Univ.), Tadashi Yamazaki (The Univ. of Electro-Communications) 3. Approach of deep learning: from JNNS?s point of view Speakers: Hideki Aso (AIST), Masato Okada (The Univ. of Tokyo), Izumi Ohzawa (Osaka Univ.), Koichi Shinoda (Tokyo Inst. of Technology) === Call of Papers === Submissions are solicited for JNNS 2015 from wide areas of research topics with respect to neural systems, including physiology, psychology, brain imaging, sensation/perception, recognition, motor, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, robotics, mathematical models, learning theory, signal processing, data measurement/analysis technology, machine learning, hardware/software technology, high-performance computing, and algorithm. Members in JNNS or assent societies are eligible to be a presenter. Those who are joining in JNNS 2015 from abroad are welcome to be a presenter if they are non-members. Applicants can be a presenter for only one presentation, but can be listed as coauthors for multiple presentations. JNNS 2015 very welcomes active submissions from private companies as well as academic institutes. See https://jnns2015.im.uec.ac.jp/en/cfp/ for more details. === Schedule === Registration/submission start: May 8 (Friday), 2015 Registration/submission close: June 8 (Monday), 2015 Notice of acceptance (incl. results of talk selection): July 17 (Friday), 2015 Early registration deadline: July 31 (Friday), 2015 (for presenters) August 14 (Friday), 2015 (for others) === Organizing committee === Yutaka Sakaguchi (Chair, The Univ. of Electro-Communications) Shunji Sato (The Univ. of Electro-Communications) Hayaru Shouno (The Univ. of Electro-Communications) Yoichi Miyawaki (The Univ. of Electro-Communications) Tadashi Yamazaki (The Univ. of Electro-Communications) === Sponsor === Japanese Neural Network Society === Cosponsor === Japan Society for Fuzzy Theory and Intelligent Informatics (SOFT) === Contact address === E-mail? contact at jnns2015.im.uec.ac.jp From laurent.perrinet at univ-amu.fr Mon May 25 10:34:30 2015 From: laurent.perrinet at univ-amu.fr (Laurent Perrinet) Date: Mon, 25 May 2015 16:34:30 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: 15 PhD positions for PACE, an EU funded Innovative Training Network for understanding Perception and Action in Complex Environments Message-ID: <556332F6.9080803@univ-amu.fr> Dear colleagues, PACE (Perception and Action in Complex Environments) is an Innovative Training Network funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie program of the European Union starting on April 1st, 2015. The network involves 10 academic and private full partners, from 6 European and associated countries (France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, UK, Israel), plus 5 associated partners (private companies and public organizations). The network gathers a broad range of expertise from experimental psychology, cognitive neurosciences, brain imaging, technology and clinical sciences as well as transferable skills. The PACE network promotes interdisciplinary research and training in the field of human movement sciences with a strong emphasis on perception-action coupling in complex environments. We focus on changes of this coupling across lifespan and in pathological diseases affecting the nervous system. The goal is to train PhD students through collaborative research projects, international courses and workshops. -> 15 PhD positions, starting next fall, are offered across the different network sites. You can find a short description of the proposed PhD projects at the following link: http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/IMG/pdf/PACE_Table_positions.pdf Applications are welcome immediately and until the end of May (but some specific timing constraints may be enforced in some of the partners' sites: please get more information from local contacts). You will find further general information (sections 1 to 3), eligibility and application conditions (section 4) here: http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/-ITN-Marie-Curie-network-PACE Thanks for distributing this announcement to potential candidates, Laurent -- Laurent Perrinet - INT (UMR 7289)/CNRS http://invibe.net/LaurentPerrinet -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From osporns at indiana.edu Wed May 27 17:45:09 2015 From: osporns at indiana.edu (Olaf Sporns) Date: Wed, 27 May 2015 17:45:09 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: postdoctoral position in human connectomics Message-ID: <55663AE5.6090203@indiana.edu> *Postdoctoral/Assistant Research Scientist Position in Human Connectomics* Indiana University is making a multi-year, multi-million dollar investment to create and expand the infrastructure for research and training in network science through the establishment of the Indiana University Network Science Institute (IUNI ? http://iuni.iu.edu ). IUNI seeks applicants for a postdoctoral position as Assistant Research Scientist in the area of Human Connectomics. This position will be appointed for a two-year term with the possibility of renewal based on exemplary performance and continued funding. The position involves close collaboration with the Computational Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory (www.indiana.edu/~cortex ? Head: Olaf Sporns) and the Indiana University Center for Neuroimaging (http://neuroimaging.medicine.iu.edu/ - Director: Andrew J. Saykin). Research goals focus on the application of sophisticated network analysis and modeling methods to multimodal human neuroimaging data sets, including advanced diffusion imaging, structural MRI and resting-state fMRI, in both healthy and clinical populations. A major application focus is on prodromal stages of Alzheimer?s disease and many other clinical populations, including TBI, non-CNS cancer and psychosis, are also being investigated.In addition to close collaboration with Drs. Sporns, Saykin and colleagues, the successful candidate will be encouraged to interact with IU?s growing community of network scientists. A full position description and instructions for how to apply can be found at: https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/hr/postings/1490 For informal inquiries please contact Olaf Sporns at osporns at indiana.edu -- Olaf Sporns -- @spornslab Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Programs in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Indiana University Bloomington, IN 47405 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From D.J.Walker at exeter.ac.uk Thu May 28 06:32:02 2015 From: D.J.Walker at exeter.ac.uk (David Walker) Date: Thu, 28 May 2015 11:32:02 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: UKCI 2015 - Deadline Extension Message-ID: <5566EEA2.8080300@exeter.ac.uk> 2015 UK WORKSHOP ON COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE (UKCI 2015) September 7-9, Exeter, UK ******************************************************************************** DEADLINE EXTENSION: 8th JUNE 2015 To expedite the reviewing process, the title and abstract must be submitted by 1st June 2015 ******************************************************************************** Sponsored by IEEE Computational Intelligence Society http://www.ukci2015.ex.ac.uk/ CALL FOR PAPERS We are pleased to invite you to submit your original contributions to the 15th UK Workshop on Computational Intelligence, which will take place at the University of Exeter, UK, on 7th-9th September 2015. UKCI is the premier UK event for presenting leading research on all aspects of computational intelligence. The aim of this workshop is to provide a forum for the academic community and industry to share ideas about developing and using computational intelligence techniques. KEYNOTE SPEAKERS We are pleased to announce that the workshop will feature the following keynote speakers: * Emma Hart, Edinburgh Napier University * Magnus Rattray, University of Manchester * Alberto Arribas, Met Office PAPERS All submissions will be peer-reviewed; accepted papers will be included in the conference proceedings and indexed in IEEEXplore. Selected papers will be considered for publication, following substantial extension, in a Special Issue of the Soft Computing Journal (Springer). Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): * Machine learning, learning systems, biologically-inspired computing, neural networks; * Evolutionary computation, swarm intelligence, artificial immune systems, memetic computing; * Computational intelligence for big data; * Knowledge representation; * Fuzzy logic, fuzzy systems, approximate reasoning; * Software agents and multi-agent systems, intelligent control; * Intelligent signal, image and video processing; * New and emerging computational intelligence approaches from hybrid learning and systems, molecular and quantum computing; * Applications of computational intelligence techniques in engineering, healthcare, finances, (cyber)security. SPECIAL SESSIONS The workshop will be held in conjunction with the Natural Computing Applications Forum (NCAF). Additional special sessions at the workshop are: * From Genetic Programming to Genetic Improvement Programming: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants (John Woodward) * Data Science and Heuristic Optimisation (Shahriar Asta and Ender Ozcan) * Big Data and Computational Intelligence in Networking (BDCI-NET 2015) (Yulei Wu and Geyong Min) IMPORTANT DATES * Paper submission: *8th June 2015*. To expedite the reviewing process, titles and abstracts should be submitted by 1st June 2015 * Notification of paper acceptance: 6th July 2015 * Camera ready submission: 3rd August 2015 SUBMISSION Submission is via EasyChair; details are available from the workshop website (http://www.ukci2015.ex.ac.uk/). The workshop will take place at the Innovation Centre, located on the University of Exeter's Streatham Campus, a short walk from the city of Exeter. The city offers excellent transport links, with easy access to the M5, two mainline railway stations, an international airport and nearby continental ferry links. Beyond the array of activities within the city, Exeter is close to the Jurassic Coast, the English Riviera, as well as Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks. We look forward to welcoming you to Devon in 2015. General Chair: Prof. Richard Everson (University of Exeter) Email: ukci2015 at exeter.ac.uk Web: http://www.ukci2015.ex.ac.uk/ From dwang at cse.ohio-state.edu Sun May 31 21:44:15 2015 From: dwang at cse.ohio-state.edu (DeLiang Wang) Date: Sun, 31 May 2015 21:44:15 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: NEURAL NETWORKS, June 2015 Message-ID: <556BB8EF.6020802@cse.ohio-state.edu> Neural Networks - Volume 66, June 2015 http://www.journals.elsevier.com/neural-networks A digital implementation of neuron-astrocyte interaction for neuromorphic applications Soheila Nazari, Karim Faez, Mahmood Amiri, Ehsan Karami Diversifying customer review rankings Ralf Krestel, Nima Dokoohaki Multi-frame image super resolution based on sparse coding Toshiyuki Kato, Hideitsu Hino, Noboru Murata Event-triggered asynchronous intermittent communication strategy for synchronization in complex dynamical networks Huaqing Li, Xiaofeng Liao, Guo Chen, David J. Hill, Zhaoyang Dong, Tingwen Huang Hierarchical neural networks perform both serial and parallel processing Elena Agliari, Adriano Barra, Andrea Galluzzi, Francesco Guerra, Daniele Tantari, Flavia Tavani Stochastic sampled-data control for synchronization of complex dynamical networks with control packet loss and additive time-varying delays R. Rakkiyappan, N. Sakthivel, Jinde Cao Phase synchronization of coupled bursting neurons and the generalized Kuramoto model F.A.S. Ferrari, R.L. Viana, S.R. Lopes, R. Stoop Global exponential periodicity and stability of discrete-time complex-valued recurrent neural networks with time-delays Jin Hu, Jun Wang A new delay-independent condition for global robust stability of neural networks with time delays Ruya Samli Multilingual part-of-speech tagging with weightless neural networks Hugo C.C. Carneiro, Felipe M.G. Fran??a, Priscila M.V. Lima Asynchronous event-based corner detection and matching Xavier Clady, Sio-Hoi Ieng, Ryad Benosman From marcel.van.gerven at gmail.com Fri May 29 14:56:42 2015 From: marcel.van.gerven at gmail.com (Marcel van Gerven) Date: Fri, 29 May 2015 20:56:42 +0200 Subject: Connectionists: Neural Metrics 2.0 : Deadline approaching (June 15th) Message-ID: Neural Metrics 2.0 : Connectomics & Large-Scale Methods The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour/Radboud University is organizing a summer school on neural metrics with the aim to get participants acquainted with the quantitative analysis of neural organisation and function. In Neural Metrics 2.0 we will build on the success from the previous year, focussing on methods for understanding brain networks such as connectomics as well as large scale and Bayesian methods, with world class speakers, hands-on tutorials, student projects and an interactive debate. The topics covered range from cellular connectomics to human functional connectomics. The course is designed for PhD students and starting postdoctoral researchers working at the interface between cognitive neuroscience and the application of advanced methods. Please consult the Radboud Summer school website (http://www.ru.nl/radboudsummerschool/ ) for details on the program, social events and registration. Further details for the Neural Metrics Summer School can be found below and on the website (http://www.ru.nl/radboudsummerschool/courses/brain-behaviour/@972443/neural-metrics-2-0-0/ ). Dates : Monday 10 August - Friday 14 August 2015 (1 week) Application Deadline : 15 June 2015 Course leaders : Bernhard Englitz, Marcel van Gerven, Fleur Zeldenrust, Tansu Celikel Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour & Radboud University Participant profile : This course was developed for PhD students and early postdoctoral researchers working at the interface between cellular and cognitive neuroscience requiring advanced methods of analysis. This includes research in the field of Neuroscience with an MSc in Biology, Computer Science, Psychology, Physics, Al, Mathematics, Engineering or a similar major. Admission requirements : As part of the admission procedure, we ask you to send us your CV and a brief motivation letter in which you explain your interest in our course. Course fee : 600 Euros The course fee includes the registration fee, course materials, access to library and IT facilities, coffee/tea, lunch, and a number of social activities. Accommodation is available for the course participants (additional charges apply). For details please see http://www.ru.nl/radboudsummerschool/practical-matters/housing/ Discounts : ? 15% discount for students and PhD candidates from Radboud University and partner universities, Confirmed Speakers (alphabetical): > Misha Ahrens (HHMI, Janelia) > Matthias Bethge (University T?bingen) > Vincent Bonin (VIB, Leuven) > Romain Brette (Institut de la Vision, Paris) > Kevin Briggman (NIH, Bethesda) > Tansu Celikel (Donders Institute, Nijmegen) > Moritz Helmst?dter (MPI for Brain Research, Frankfurt) > Henry Kennedy (INSERM, Lyon) > Timm Lochmann (TU Berlin) > David Norris (Donders Institute, Nijmegen) > R?mi Proville (Donders Institute, Nijmegen) > Andrew Reid (FZ J?lich) > Jan Schnupp (Oxford University) > Alessandro Treves (SISSA, Trieste) > Fleur Zeldenrust (Univ. Amsterdam) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tetiana.aksenova at cea.fr Thu May 28 03:37:04 2015 From: tetiana.aksenova at cea.fr (Tetiana AKSENOVA 218551) Date: Thu, 28 May 2015 07:37:04 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: TR: Save the date! Next GDR Multielectrode/NeuralNet Conference and Minischool: Jan 5-8, 2016 In-Reply-To: <5566C1F8.2030507@inserm.fr> References: <5566C1F8.2030507@inserm.fr> Message-ID: Dear colleagues, This is the first announcement that the next conference of the GDR Multielectrode - becoming soon (hopefully) GDR NeuralNet - will be held in Grenoble on January 6-8, 2016. We chose to delay a bit this edition in order to organize the conference in the Vercors mountain (http://www.escandille.com/). The conference will start on Jan 6 late afternoon and end on Jan 8 afternoon. Not sure there will be snow at this period, but we hope the calm of Vercors will foster creative thinking and interactions! Because lodging will be provided on site, a (reasonable) registration fee will be asked to cover the corresponding cost and secure the organization. The minischool preceding the conference will take place in downtown Grenoble on January 5-6 (lodging not provided). The program and registration organization is under preparation, but please save already these dates to make this new event as rich as possible ! Looking forward welcoming you all, Kind regards, Blaise on behalf of the organizing committee: Tetiana AKSENOVA Julien BASTIN Florent BOCQUELET Olivier DAVID C?cile DELACOUR Antoine DEPAULIS Samuel GARCIA Philippe KAHANE Sandrine MAUBERT Ga?lle OFFRANC PIRET Christophe POUZAT Anne QUESNEL-HELLMANN Blaise YVERT -- Blaise Yvert. Inserm Research Director Clinatec Laboratory UA01 Biomedical Research Center Edmond J Safra CEA-INSERM-UJF-CHU Grenoble Minatec Campus 17 rue des Martyrs 38054 Grenoble cedex 09 Tel. +33 4 38 78 91 38 / +33 6 32 88 75 90 Fax. +33 4 38 78 53 55 http://www.clinatec.fr (under construction)