Vision Science
vision science
Silvio P. Sabatini
The position is a full-time PhD studentship for a period of 3 years, starting on Nov 1st, 2023. The research project is titled 'Early vision function in silico networks of LIF neurons'. The project aims to develop an 'artificial observer' composed of an active event-based camera feeding a neuromorphic multi-layer network of leaky integrate and fire (LIF) neurons. The system should provide the inference engines for relating visual representations to performance on perceptual judgement tasks. Multiple and varying parameters captured under complex, real-life conditions should be comparatively assessed in silicon and human observers. The research will be conducted at the Bioengineering/PSPC labs of DIBRIS.
Silvio P. Sabatini
The project aims to implement neuromorphic multi-layer networks of leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) neurons in cascade to a motorized event-based camera (DAVIS, DVS, https://inivation.com/technology/), to obtain artificial replicas of the early stages of an active vision system. Testing the models will involve the assessment of multiple and varying parameters captured under real-life and adaptive conditions. At functional level, the system will (1) consider the neural resources required to account for a range of linear/nonlinear early visual processes, and (2) provide the inference engines for relating the resulting visual representations to performance on psychophysical tasks. The visual performance of the resulting silicon model will be comparatively assessed with that of a typical human observer. The objective is twofold: on the one hand, we contribute a deeper understanding of visual processes, especially about predicting how early computation may reverberate through the sensory pathways eventually contributing to functional vision. On the other hand, we contribute to the definition of a new generation of perceptual machines to be used in robotics and in general in newly developed Artificial Intelligence systems.
Jorge Almeida
The Proaction Laboratory (proactionlab.fpce.uc.pt) at the University Coimbra Portugal is looking for Researchers at initial stages (post-PhD) of their career to be part of the lab in a joint competitive application to a Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) independent researcher call. We particularly encourage applications from women, and from underrepresented groups in academia. The applicant and the lab will work on a competitive project to be submitted. Results from the application are expected to be out mid 2025. The application will be open September 30, and will close November 29, 2024. The positions are as independent researchers in the Proaction Lab, are for 3 years, and the salary is the same as the Portuguese payroll for University Professors (net values for junior or assistant positions, for instance are approximately 1700 or 2100 euros net-value per month in a 14-month salary per year; these are competitive salaries for the cost of living in Portugal and especially in Coimbra). The Proaction Lab is currently very well funded as we have a set of on-going funded projects including a Starting Grant ERC to Jorge Almeida, a major European ERA Chair project to Jorge ALmeida and Alfonso Caramzza, and other projects. We have access to a 3T MRI scanner with a 32-channel coil, to tDCS, and to a fully set psychophysics lab. We have a 256 ch EEG, motion tracking and eyetracking on site. We also have a science communication office dedicated to the lab. Finally, the University of Coimbra is a 700 year old University and has been selected as a UNESCO world Heritage site. Coimbra is one of the most lively university cities in the world, and it is a beautiful city with easy access to the beach and mountain. You should apply as soon as you can - the sooner the better so that we can prepare the application. If interested send an email to jorgecbalmeida@gmail.com, with a CV, and motivation/scientific proposal letter. If there is a fit, we will jointly apply to these positions – we have had in past applications a high success rate as a lab (in four previous editions, we got several applications that were offered a position).
Jorge Almeida
The Proaction Laboratory (proactionlab.fpce.uc.pt) at the University Coimbra Portugal is looking for Researchers at initial stages (post-PhD) of their career to be part of the lab in a joint competitive application to a Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) independent researcher call. We particularly encourage applications from women, and from underrepresented groups in academia. The applicants should have obtained a PhD, and have an interest in cognitive neuroscience, vision science and preferably (but not limited to) object recognition, shape processing, and texture and surface processing. We are particularly interested in motivated and independent Researchers addressing these topics with strong expertise in fMRI (in particular decoding and multivariate approaches). Good programming skills, great communication and mentoring skills, and a great command of English are a plus. The applicant and the lab will work on a competitive project to be submitted. Results from the application are expected to be out mid 2025. The application will be open September 30, and will close November 29, 2024. The positions are as independent researchers in the Proaction Lab, are for 3 years, and the salary is the same as the Portuguese payroll for University Professors (net values for junior or assistant positions, for instance are approximately 1700 or 2100 euros net-value per month in a 14-month salary per year; these are competitive salaries for the cost of living in Portugal and especially in Coimbra). The Proaction Lab is currently very well funded as we have a set of on-going funded projects including a Starting Grant ERC to Jorge Almeida, a major European ERA Chair project to Jorge Almeida and Alfonso Caramazza, and other projects. We have access to a 3T MRI scanner with a 32-channel coil, to tDCS, and to a fully set psychophysics lab. We have a 256 ch EEG, motion tracking and eye-tracking on site. We also have a science communication office dedicated to the lab. Finally, the University of Coimbra is a 700-year old University and has been selected as a UNESCO world Heritage site. Coimbra is one of the liveliest university cities in the world, and it is a beautiful city with easy access to the beach and mountain. You should apply as soon as you can - the sooner the better so that we can prepare the application. If interested send an email to jorgecbalmeida@gmail.com, with a CV, and motivation/scientific proposal letter. If there is a fit, we will jointly apply to these positions – we have had in past applications a high success rate as a lab (in four previous editions, we got several applications that were offered a position).
Jorge Almeida
The Proaction Laboratory at the University Coimbra Portugal is looking for Researchers at initial stages (post-PhD) of their career to be part of the lab in a joint competitive application to a Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) researcher call. The positions are as independent researchers in the Proaction Lab, are for 3 years, and the salary is the same as the Portuguese payroll for University Professors (net values for junior or assistant positions, for instance are approximately 1700 or 2100 euros net-value per month in a 14-month salary per year; these are competitive salaries for the cost of living in Portugal and especially in Coimbra). The Proaction Lab is currently very well funded as we have a set of on-going funded projects including a Starting Grant ERC to Jorge Almeida, a major European ERA Chair project to Jorge Almeida and Alfonso Caramzza, and other projects. We have access to a 3T MRI scanner with a 32-channel coil, to tDCS, and to a fully set psychophysics lab. We have a 256 ch EEG, motion tracking and eyetracking on site. We also have a science communication office dedicated to the lab. Finally, the University of Coimbra is a 700 year old University and has been selected as a UNESCO world Heritage site. Coimbra is one of the most lively university cities in the world, and it is a beautiful city with easy access to the beach and mountain.
Robert Jacobs
Positions for doctoral study are open for 2025 in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department at the University of Rochester. We offer research programs that are recognized nationally and internationally in the areas of language and communication, human development, animal behavior, vision science, neuroscience, computation, and cognition. Full tuition is covered along with a 12-month stipend for five years of study which includes annual travel for meetings. The city of Rochester offers a vibrant and diverse local academic community that benefits from a low cost of living along with ample opportunities to explore the arts, including the Eastman School of Music, as well as recreational opportunities, including the finger lakes region, hiking, and skiing. Explore further the opportunities for research and life at http://www.sas.rochester.edu/bcs/. Applications will be accepted for the upcoming admissions cycle until December 1st, 2024.
Jorge Almeida
The Proaction Laboratory at the University Coimbra Portugal is looking for Researchers at initial stages (post-PhD) of their career to be part of the lab in a joint competitive application to a Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) independent researcher call. The positions are as independent researchers in the Proaction Lab, are for 3 years, and the salary is the same as the Portuguese payroll for University Professors (net values for junior or assistant positions, for instance are approximately 1700 or 2100 euros net-value per month in a 14-month salary per year; these are competitive salaries for the cost of living in Portugal and especially in Coimbra). The Proaction Lab is currently very well funded as we have a set of on-going funded projects including a Starting Grant ERC to Jorge Almeida, a major European ERA Chair project to Jorge Almeida and Alfonso Caramzza, and other projects. We have access to a 3T MRI scanner with a 32-channel coil, to tDCS, and to a fully set psychophysics lab. We have a 256 ch EEG, motion tracking and eyetracking on site. We also have a science communication office dedicated to the lab. Finally, the University of Coimbra is a 700 year old University and has been selected as a UNESCO world Heritage site. Coimbra is one of the most lively university cities in the world, and it is a beautiful city with easy access to the beach and mountain.
The Systems Vision Science Summer School & Symposium, August 11 – 22, 2025, Tuebingen, Germany
Applications are invited for our third edition of Systems Vision Science (SVS) summer school since 2023, designed for everyone interested in gaining a systems level understanding of biological vision. We plan a coherent, graduate-level, syllabus on the integration of experimental data with theory and models, featuring lectures, guided exercises and discussion sessions. The summer school will end with a Systems Vision Science symposium on frontier topics on August 20-22, with additional invited and contributed presentations and posters. Call for contributions and participations to the symposium will be sent out spring of 2025. All summer school participants are invited to attend, and welcome to submit contributions to the symposium.
The Systems Vision Science Summer School & Symposium, August 11 – 22, 2025, Tuebingen, Germany
Applications are invited for our third edition of Systems Vision Science (SVS) summer school since 2023, designed for everyone interested in gaining a systems level understanding of biological vision. We plan a coherent, graduate-level, syllabus on the integration of experimental data with theory and models, featuring lectures, guided exercises and discussion sessions. The summer school will end with a Systems Vision Science symposium on frontier topics on August 20-22, with additional invited and contributed presentations and posters. Call for contributions and participations to the symposium will be sent out spring of 2025. All summer school participants are invited to attend, and welcome to submit contributions to the symposium.
The Systems Vision Science Summer School & Symposium, August 11 – 22, 2025, Tuebingen, Germany
Applications are invited for our third edition of Systems Vision Science (SVS) summer school since 2023, designed for everyone interested in gaining a systems level understanding of biological vision. We plan a coherent, graduate-level, syllabus on the integration of experimental data with theory and models, featuring lectures, guided exercises and discussion sessions. The summer school will end with a Systems Vision Science symposium on frontier topics on August 20-22, with additional invited and contributed presentations and posters. Call for contributions and participations to the symposium will be sent out spring of 2025. All summer school participants are invited to attend, and welcome to submit contributions to the symposium.
The Systems Vision Science Summer School & Symposium, August 11 – 22, 2025, Tuebingen, Germany
Applications are invited for our third edition of Systems Vision Science (SVS) summer school since 2023, designed for everyone interested in gaining a systems level understanding of biological vision. We plan a coherent, graduate-level, syllabus on the integration of experimental data with theory and models, featuring lectures, guided exercises and discussion sessions. The summer school will end with a Systems Vision Science symposium on frontier topics on August 20-22, with additional invited and contributed presentations and posters. Call for contributions and participations to the symposium will be sent out spring of 2025. All summer school participants are invited to attend, and welcome to submit contributions to the symposium.
The Systems Vision Science Summer School & Symposium, August 11 – 22, 2025, Tuebingen, Germany
Applications are invited for our third edition of Systems Vision Science (SVS) summer school since 2023, designed for everyone interested in gaining a systems level understanding of biological vision. We plan a coherent, graduate-level, syllabus on the integration of experimental data with theory and models, featuring lectures, guided exercises and discussion sessions. The summer school will end with a Systems Vision Science symposium on frontier topics on August 20-22, with additional invited and contributed presentations and posters. Call for contributions and participations to the symposium will be sent out spring of 2025. All summer school participants are invited to attend, and welcome to submit contributions to the symposium.
The Systems Vision Science Summer School & Symposium, August 11 – 22, 2025, Tuebingen, Germany
Applications are invited for our third edition of Systems Vision Science (SVS) summer school since 2023, designed for everyone interested in gaining a systems level understanding of biological vision. We plan a coherent, graduate-level, syllabus on the integration of experimental data with theory and models, featuring lectures, guided exercises and discussion sessions. The summer school will end with a Systems Vision Science symposium on frontier topics on August 20-22, with additional invited and contributed presentations and posters. Call for contributions and participations to the symposium will be sent out spring of 2025. All summer school participants are invited to attend, and welcome to submit contributions to the symposium.
The Systems Vision Science Summer School & Symposium, August 11 – 22, 2025, Tuebingen, Germany
Applications are invited for our third edition of Systems Vision Science (SVS) summer school since 2023, designed for everyone interested in gaining a systems level understanding of biological vision. We plan a coherent, graduate-level, syllabus on the integration of experimental data with theory and models, featuring lectures, guided exercises and discussion sessions. The summer school will end with a Systems Vision Science symposium on frontier topics on August 20-22, with additional invited and contributed presentations and posters. Call for contributions and participations to the symposium will be sent out spring of 2025. All summer school participants are invited to attend, and welcome to submit contributions to the symposium.
The Systems Vision Science Summer School & Symposium, August 11 – 22, 2025, Tuebingen, Germany
Applications are invited for our third edition of Systems Vision Science (SVS) summer school since 2023, designed for everyone interested in gaining a systems level understanding of biological vision. We plan a coherent, graduate-level, syllabus on the integration of experimental data with theory and models, featuring lectures, guided exercises and discussion sessions. The summer school will end with a Systems Vision Science symposium on frontier topics on August 20-22, with additional invited and contributed presentations and posters. Call for contributions and participations to the symposium will be sent out spring of 2025. All summer school participants are invited to attend, and welcome to submit contributions to the symposium.
The Systems Vision Science Summer School & Symposium, August 11 – 22, 2025, Tuebingen, Germany
Applications are invited for our third edition of Systems Vision Science (SVS) summer school since 2023, designed for everyone interested in gaining a systems level understanding of biological vision. We plan a coherent, graduate-level, syllabus on the integration of experimental data with theory and models, featuring lectures, guided exercises and discussion sessions. The summer school will end with a Systems Vision Science symposium on frontier topics on August 20-22, with additional invited and contributed presentations and posters. Call for contributions and participations to the symposium will be sent out spring of 2025. All summer school participants are invited to attend, and welcome to submit contributions to the symposium.
The Systems Vision Science Summer School & Symposium, August 11 – 22, 2025, Tuebingen, Germany
Applications are invited for our third edition of Systems Vision Science (SVS) summer school since 2023, designed for everyone interested in gaining a systems level understanding of biological vision. We plan a coherent, graduate-level, syllabus on the integration of experimental data with theory and models, featuring lectures, guided exercises and discussion sessions. The summer school will end with a Systems Vision Science symposium on frontier topics on August 20-22, with additional invited and contributed presentations and posters. Call for contributions and participations to the symposium will be sent out spring of 2025. All summer school participants are invited to attend, and welcome to submit contributions to the symposium.
Foundation models in ophthalmology
Abstract to follow.
Deep learning applications in ophthalmology
Deep learning techniques have revolutionized the field of image analysis and played a disruptive role in the ability to quickly and efficiently train image analysis models that perform as well as human beings. This talk will cover the beginnings of the application of deep learning in the field of ophthalmology and vision science, and cover a variety of applications of using deep learning as a method for scientific discovery and latent associations.
Probabilistic computation in natural vision
A central goal of vision science is to understand the principles underlying the perception and neural coding of the complex visual environment of our everyday experience. In the visual cortex, foundational work with artificial stimuli, and more recent work combining natural images and deep convolutional neural networks, have revealed much about the tuning of cortical neurons to specific image features. However, a major limitation of this existing work is its focus on single-neuron response strength to isolated images. First, during natural vision, the inputs to cortical neurons are not isolated but rather embedded in a rich spatial and temporal context. Second, the full structure of population activity—including the substantial trial-to-trial variability that is shared among neurons—determines encoded information and, ultimately, perception. In the first part of this talk, I will argue for a normative approach to study encoding of natural images in primary visual cortex (V1), which combines a detailed understanding of the sensory inputs with a theory of how those inputs should be represented. Specifically, we hypothesize that V1 response structure serves to approximate a probabilistic representation optimized to the statistics of natural visual inputs, and that contextual modulation is an integral aspect of achieving this goal. I will present a concrete computational framework that instantiates this hypothesis, and data recorded using multielectrode arrays in macaque V1 to test its predictions. In the second part, I will discuss how we are leveraging this framework to develop deep probabilistic algorithms for natural image and video segmentation.