Candidate Directors for the 2018 Elections

Anthony Burkitt

Professor Anthony (Tony) Burkitt holds the Chair in Bio-Signals and Bio-Systems in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Melbourne since 2007. His research encompasses a number of areas of computational neuroscience, including neural coding, synaptic plasticity neuroengineering, vision processing, sound processing and modelling of epilepsy. His research has made significant contributions to understanding the behavior and function of neural information processing in the brain and it has also been instrumental in the development of visual stimulation paradigms for retinal implants, new cochlear implant speech processing strategies, and models for understanding and predicting seizures.

Motivation:

In addition to making a contribution to the international research community, I would like particularly to facilitate training and development opportunities for early career researchers and postgraduate students in computational neuroscience. The future of the field depends upon the next generation of researchers, so I feel it is important to expand ways in which OCNS can enhance their careers.

OCNS and CNS participation:

attended more than 5 CNS meeting(s), was reviewer for more than 5 meetings. OCNS member since 2004.

Other information:

I have previously been the Chair (2014-2017) and member (2012-2014) of the OCNS Scientific Program Committee. This close involvement in running the scientific program of the CNS meetings has given me extensive experience in many aspects of OCNS and the important role it plays in the broader international community of researchers in computational neuroscience, which I'd like to further build upon.

Anca Doloc-Mihu

Dr. Doloc-Mihu is an Assistant Professor of Information Technology in the School of Science and Technology at Georgia Gwinnett College. Prior to GGC, she did her postdoctoral research at Emory University in the Calabrese Lab, where she built various computational methods for analyzing large data sets of neuronal models. A Romanian native, she earned her Ph.D. and Master's in Computer Science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and a Master's and Bachelor's in computer science and mathematics from University of Bucharest. Her research provides a bridge between computational neuroscience and latest technologies with focus on computational methods for analysis and visualization of large non-textual data collections, such as electrophysiological recordings, images, and videos.

Motivation:

The OCNS aims at advancing the knowledge in computational neuroscience, which I see as a powerful way to advancing neuroscience research with the help of computational and mathematical methods. This is what I stand for, and would like to help this research movement by bringing in, in addition to my research skills, my organizational skills by becoming an OCNS director.

OCNS and CNS participation:

attended more than 5 CNS meeting(s), was reviewer for more than 5 meetings. OCNS member since 2011.

Other information:

I am an active computational neuroscience member performing research in the field with several publications, along with mentoring students in this research. As Atlanta local OCNS meeting organizer in 2012, I had worked on various tasks like selecting the meeting rooms, posting useful local information on the website prior to the meeting, organizing the banquet and the party, built up the meeting booklet, and logistics.

Rahmi Elibol

I received B. Sc. degrees from Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey, in 2004, and M. Sc. degrees from Istanbul Technical University, Turkey, in 2013. I joined Istanbul Technical University as research assistant in 2011, where I am a PhD student now. My research interests include nonlinear dynamical systems, mathematical modeling and computational neuroscience. I use spiking neural networks to understand Basal Ganglia circuits, neurological and neuropsycological disorders.

Motivation:

Taking part in an international scientific organization such as OCNS will contribute to my academic life and work. I will try to establish better relationship between OCNS members and who interested in computational neuroscience in Turkey.

OCNS and CNS participation:

attended 2-3 CNS meeting(s). OCNS member since 4.

Boris Gutkin

My bachelors in Physics and History is from the NCSU in 1985, a MS in Biomathematics from NCSU in 1993 and a PhD from U. Pittsburgh in computational neuroscience in 1999. I did my postdocs at the CNRS and Pasteur Institute (Paris) and at the Gatsby UCL. Since 2004 I am a tenured researcher at the CNRS in France. In 2006 I put together the Group for Neural Theory, at the Ecole Normale Superiuere in Paris. Since 2011 I head mathematical neuroscience groups at the ENS and at the Higher School of Economics Moscow. My research focuses on neural modelling spanning multiple levels of neuronal dynamics from nicotinic receptors to neuronal excitability to cognitive processes. I am particularly interested in neuromodulation, brain disorders and addiction as a focus of applied research.

Motivation:

I have been involved with OCNS for over 2 decades both as member and organizer. I want to become a OCNS director to advance its mission to promote modelling as an inexorable part of neuroscience and CNS meetings as a forum for young scientists, as well as its international outreach. I have long benefited from support I have gotten from the CNS community and it's high time I give back.

OCNS and CNS participation:

attended more than 5 CNS meeting(s), was reviewer for more than 5 meetings. OCNS member since 2000.

Other information:

I am a neuroscience section associate editor at PLOS Computational Biology.

Nicolangelo Iannella

I received BSc, BSc(Hons) and MSc degrees in Theoretical Physics from the University of Adelaide and Flinders University of South Australia in 1990, 1991 and 1995, respectively, and the PhD in Computational Neuroscience from the University of Electro-Communications, Japan in 2009. From 2009, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher in RIKEN BSI. In 2010, he won the prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) Australian Postdoctoral Award (APD) fellowship, based at the University of Adelaide from 2010-2014. From 2014-2017 he was an adjunct research fellow at the University of South Australia. From 2016-2018, he was a Cascade (Marie Curie) Research Fellow in Mathematical Sciences at the University of Nottingham. From 2018, he is a research fellow at the University of Oslo. His research interests include synaptic plasticity, neuronal dynamics and neuromorphic engineering. Dr Iannella is a member of OCNS, INNS, SFN and IEEE.

Motivation:

OCNS common goal is to further our understanding of brain science and help unravel the causes and treatment of brain disorders through joint efforts in mathematics, computer modelling, and experiments. As director I would continue fostering interdisciplinary interactions and encourage interacting with engineers to spread awareness of neuromorphic engineering as a means of translating models to hardware but also as an alternative method of simulation.

OCNS and CNS participation:

attended 2-3 CNS meeting(s). OCNS member since 2016.

Other information:

I have reviewed over 40 journal (e.g. Nature Scientific Reports, IEEE Trans in Neural Networks and Learning Systems, Proceedings of the IEEE, Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience) and conference (e.g. EMBC, IJCNN and ISSNIP) papers and have assessed over 10 grant proposals (ARC and NMHRC). I have supervised over 10 undergraduate and predoctoral students and given several invited talks including an invited lecture series at Chungbuk National University, South Korea.

Renaud Jolivet

I studied Theoretical Biophysics in Lausanne, Switzerland, before undertaking a PhD in Computational Neuroscience at EPFL under the supervision of Prof. Gerstner. After that, I was a postdoc, fellow or visiting scientist at the Universities of Lausanne and Zrich, Switzerland, at Kyoto University and at the Riken Brain Science Institute, Japan, and at UCL, UK. Since 2016, I am Professor of Medical Physics between CERN and the University of Geneva, Switzerland, where I currently lead a team of 6 PhD students and postdocs. Although my training was initially mostly theoretical, I have since trained also as an experimentalist. My main interests are the interactions between neurons and non-neuronal cells in the brain and the relation between information processing and energy consumption.

Motivation:

I believe that Neuroscience is at a transition and we need to evolve to stay relevant. The two big changes on the horizon are [i] a transition to large-scale science and [ii] a move away from neurocentrism. As both an experimentalist and theoretician working at CERN on questions related to neuroglial interactions, I believe I can bring a unique perspective to the Board.

OCNS and CNS participation:

attended 4-5 CNS meeting(s), was reviewer for more than 5 meetings. OCNS member since 2017 .

Other information:

My reviewer's profile is available at publons.com/a/1390546/. I am also an elected member of the Board of the Marie Curie Alumni Association, a project of the European Commission.

Seyed Mohammad Amin Kamaleddin Ezabadi

Information removed upon request.

Motivation:

--

OCNS and CNS participation:

--

Eirini Mavritsaki

I am Reader in Cognitive Psychology and Director of Research and Enterprise in the School of Social Sciences in Birmingham City University with affiliation also University of Birmingham as Honorary Lecturer. I received training in the areas of computational modelling (PhD and International course in Computational Neuroscience) and computational cognitive neuroscience. My research lie in the area of computational cognitive neuroscience using computational models of integrate and fire neurons to simulated cognitive processes and to link computational modelling with other methodologies (e.g. fMRI, behavioural and EEG). My research awarded the BPS cognitive section award (2012) for significant contribution to Cognitive Psychology.

Motivation:

I started working in the area of computational neuroscience when I started my PhD studies, coming from computational modelling in underwater acoustics. Computational neuroscience felt home to me from the first day I started my PhD but become a passion for me when I attended the computational neuroscience course in Trieste in 2001 till now. Computational Neuroscience, my home, has offered a lot to me and I feel that now is the time for me to give some of these back.

OCNS and CNS participation:

attended 4-5 CNS meeting(s), was reviewer for 1 meetings. OCNS member since 2001, there was a break though and started again, 2015.

Cecilia Romaro

I graduated from University of So Paulo with two Bachelor of Science degrees: Electrical Engineering (by Escola Politcnica) and Molecular Sciences. I received my Master of Science with emphasis on Biomedical Engineering by Escola Politcnica (USP) and I am currently working on PhD with emphasis on Computational Neuroscience by USP. During all my years of university study, I have always dedicated part of my time to disseminate knowledge. For example, during the last three semesters I taught Physics I, II and III for undergraduate students at PAE, a program of teaching improvement at USP. I am fluent in Portuguese and English and have conversational knowledge of French and Spanish. In my spare time, I fulfil my passion for challenges by racing 400m and piloting planes.

Motivation:

I was raised in a country with sexist views and poorly disseminated Comp Neuroscience. Not rarely, I have been unencouraged to expose my work and requested to prove myself better than male colleagues, but I kept moving forward. My life experience taught me to recognize and avoid discriminative patterns. I want to become an OCNS director to spread CN across the world, while fighting inequality.

OCNS and CNS participation:

attended 1 CNS meeting(s). OCNS member since 2018.

Other information:

Ministered courses in USP: PraticoNeuro: 1st practical course of computational modeling in neuroscience. Satellite course in XL SBNeC (Jul/17) Introduction to Neuro-Mathematics in the 4th Summer School on INFIERI. Intelligent signal processing for Frontier Research and Industry (Jan/17) Lecture in congress: Neurossimulators in the introduction to computational neuroscience workshop at SBNeC (Aug/18)

Nicoladie Tam

Dr. Nicoladie Tam is an associate professor at University of North Texas using NIR optical imaging to validate the spatiotemporal neural processing of the theoretical models in motor control for neuro-prosthetic device in brain-computer interface (BCI) and determining the neural circuitry involved in the interactions between decision-making, emotional processing, empathy and social reciprocity. The research includes neural spike train analysis to decode the spatiotemporal patterns of neural firing. The goal is to decode the neural processing signals from neurons to networks to determine how decisions are affected by emotional response. She holds a PhD degree from University of Minnesota and 3 Bachelor¿s degrees in Physics, Computer Science and Astrophysics from University of Minnesota.

Motivation:

I have been a previous member of the OCNS directors, and had attended most of the OCNS meetings in the past. I strive to promote the participation of the next generation computational neuroscientists, especially the under-represented female members. I have experience in organizing and participate in the OCNS meetings.

OCNS and CNS participation:

attended more than 5 CNS meeting(s), was reviewer for more than 5 meetings. OCNS member since 1992.

Other information:

I have helped organizing past informal social functions and activities.