Subject: [AUDITORY] Summer Short Course: Methods for Analyzing Sound and Modeling Auditory Plasticity (MASMAP), Buffalo, NY From: "Mercado, Eduardo" <emiii@xxxxxxxx> Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2019 03:04:52 +0000 List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>--_000_155071829216027951buffaloedu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Summer 2019 Short Course Methods for Analyzing Sound and Modeling Auditory Plasticity (MASMAP) -- June 5-7, 2019 -- Location: University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo,= NY 14260 Organizers: Eduardo Mercado III, Micheal Dent, Peter Pfordresher Instructors: Cynthia Henderson, James Mantell, Jennifer Schneider, Matthew = Wisniewski Description Perceptual processes have been a central focus of computational models of n= eural and cognitive mechanisms for much of the past century. Often, these m= odels serve to prove the feasibility of proposed mechanisms rather than to = simulate actual situations faced by organisms. For instance, models of spee= ch processing may assume that listeners are working with pristine represent= ations of received words rather than natural speech in noisy conditions. On= e way to increase the ecological validity of perceptual models is to repres= ent actual inputs in biologically plausible ways rather than using idealize= d inputs. This requires transforming recorded signals into representations = that reflect the sensory and perceptual sensitivities of receivers prior to= analyzing the patterns within those representations. Providing psychology = researchers with the computational skills necessary to implement biological= ly-based signal transformations in combination with simulations of perceptu= al processing can move the field closer to realistic theories of perception= and cognition. Aims of the Short Course 1. Familiarize graduate students and postdoctoral trainees with curren= t software platforms commonly used to characterize physical features of aco= ustic signals. 2. Train students to combine signal processing and pattern recognition= techniques (supervised and unsupervised neural networks) to objectively cl= assify different sounds and sound sequences in terms of their type, locatio= n, or similarities to target sounds. 3. Show students how signal processing and classification algorithms c= an be modified to simulate auditory processing by vertebrate brains. 4. Give students opportunities to work together in instructor-coached = teams in applying software to analyze novel data sets chosen by participant= s. 5. Guide student teams in the use of basic computational models to sim= ulate learning-related changes in auditory discrimination or categorization= of sounds pertinent to their fields of interests (music, speech, animal co= mmunication, or echolocation). Financial Support Financial support will be available for students and postdocs accepted into= the summer short course. Participants will receive support to cover the co= sts of travel, lodging and meals during the course, and software used in th= e course. To apply, please submit: 1: A reference letter from your supervisor or someone familiar with your ac= ademic performance. 2: Your CV including a publication list (if applicable). 3: An application form<http://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/content/dam/arts-sc= iences/cognitive-science/masmap-application.pdf>. Please send these materials to cperazio@xxxxxxxx with the subject line "= MASMAP application" by April 15, 2019. Review and selection of eligible can= didates will be conducted immediately after the application process has bee= n closed. Each accepted student will receive an official letter of invitati= on by April 20, 2019 from the summer school organizers. There is no registration fee for this summer short course. Sponsors * William K. and Katherine W. Estes Fund<https://www.psychologicalscien= ce.org/members/awards-and-honors/estes-fund> * Acoustical Society of America<https://acousticalsociety.org/> * Auditory Perception and Cognition Society<http://www.apcam.us/apcarf.= html> * Cognitive & Neurobiological Approaches to Plasticity (CNAP), Kansas S= tate University<https://www.k-state.edu/cnap/> * Center for Cognitive Science, University at Buffalo, The State Univer= sity of New York<http://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/cognitive-science/about.h= tml> ? --_000_155071829216027951buffaloedu_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html> <head> <meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-= 1"> <style type=3D"text/css" style=3D"display:none"><!-- p { margin-top: 0px; m= argin-bottom: 0px; }--></style> </head> <body dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"font-size:12pt;color:#000000;background-color:#F= FFFFF;font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <p>Summer 2019 Short Course <br> <strong>Methods for Analyzing Sound and Modeling Auditory Plasticity (MASMA= P) </strong> <br> -- June 5-7, 2019 --</p> <p> </p> <p>Location: University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffa= lo, NY 14260</p> <p> </p> <p>Organizers: Eduardo Mercado III, Micheal Dent, Peter Pfordresher </p> <p>Instructors: Cynthia Henderson, James Mantell, Jennifer Schneider, Matth= ew Wisniewski </p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>Description</em></strong></p> <p>Perceptual processes have been a central focus of computational models o= f neural and cognitive mechanisms for much of the past century. Often, thes= e models serve to prove the feasibility of proposed mechanisms rather than = to simulate actual situations faced by organisms. For instance, models of speech processing may assume that li= steners are working with pristine representations of received words rather = than natural speech in noisy conditions. One way to increase the ecological= validity of perceptual models is to represent actual inputs in biologically plausible ways rather than usin= g idealized inputs. This requires transforming recorded signals into repres= entations that reflect the sensory and perceptual sensitivities of receiver= s prior to analyzing the patterns within those representations. Providing psychology researchers with the co= mputational skills necessary to implement biologically-based signal transfo= rmations in combination with simulations of perceptual processing can move = the field closer to realistic theories of perception and cognition. </p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>Aims </em></strong><strong><em>of the Short Course</em></str= ong></p> <p> 1. Familiarize graduate students and postdoctor= al trainees with current software platforms commonly used to characterize p= hysical features of acoustic signals. </p> <p> 2. Train students to combine signal processing = and pattern recognition techniques (supervised and unsupervised neural netw= orks) to objectively classify different sounds and sound sequences in terms= of their type, location, or similarities to target sounds. </p> <p> 3. Show students how signal processing and clas= sification algorithms can be modified to simulate auditory processing by ve= rtebrate brains. </p> <p> 4. Give students opportunities to work together= in instructor-coached teams in applying software to analyze novel data set= s chosen by participants. </p> <p> 5. Guide student teams in the use of basic comp= utational models to simulate learning-related changes in auditory discrimin= ation or categorization of sounds pertinent to their fields of interests (m= usic, speech, animal communication, or echolocation). </p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>Financial Support</em></strong></p> <p>Financial support will be available for students and postdocs accepted i= nto the summer short course. Participants will receive support to cover the= costs of travel, lodging and meals during the course, and software used in= the course. </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>To apply, please submit:</strong></p> <p><strong>1:</strong> A reference letter from your supervisor or some= one familiar with your academic performance.</p> <p><strong>2:</strong> Your CV including a publication list (if applic= able).</p> <p><strong>3:</strong> An <a href=3D"http://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/= content/dam/arts-sciences/cognitive-science/masmap-application.pdf"> application form</a>.</p> <p>Please send these materials to cperazio@xxxxxxxx with the subject lin= e “MASMAP application” by April 15, 2019. Review and selection = of eligible candidates will be conducted immediately after the application = process has been closed. Each accepted student will receive an official letter of invitation by April 20, 2019 from = the summer school organizers.</p> <p><strong>There is no registration fee for this summer short course.</stro= ng><br> <br> </p> <p><strong><em>Sponsors</em></strong></p> <ul style=3D"list-style-type: disc;"> <li><a href=3D"https://www.psychologicalscience.org/members/awards-and-hono= rs/estes-fund">William K. and Katherine W. Estes Fund</a></li><li><a href= =3D"https://acousticalsociety.org/">Acoustical Society of America</a></li><= li><a href=3D"http://www.apcam.us/apcarf.html">Auditory Perception and Cogn= ition Society</a></li><li><a href=3D"https://www.k-state.edu/cnap/">Cogniti= ve & Neurobiological Approaches to Plasticity (CNAP), Kansas State Univ= ersity</a></li><li><a href=3D"http://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/cognitive-sc= ience/about.html">Center for Cognitive Science, University at Buffalo, The = State University of New York</a></li></ul> <p>​ </p> <p><br> </p> </body> </html> --_000_155071829216027951buffaloedu_--