CCB News

Yonggang Shi, a senior CCB Postdoc, and his co-workers, Rongjie Lai, Sheila Krishna, Nancy Sicotte, Ivo Dinov, Arthur Toga, were awarded the 2008 IEEE MMBIA Best Paper Award at the annual meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, June 27-28, 2008. This award recognizes the novel approach of computing skeletons of robust topology for simply connected surfaces with boundary by constructing Reeb graphs from the eigenfunctions of an anisotropic Laplace-Beltrami operator. We congratulate Dr. Shi, his co-workers and the CCB SIG-WAVE group in this great international recognition.  View the Paper. 

The Center for Computational Biology is organizing a 1-day training workshop that will include demonstrations of novel tools for computational, translational and applied neuroscience research. This year, we have decided to organize the CCB software tools training in three distinct sessions – Shape Tools, DTI/HARDI Software, and Workflows and Validation Resources. These three topics reflect the core aims, vision, research and development efforts undertaken by Center faculty, students, trainees and other investigators.

The complete details about this Event are included here.

Dr. Zhuowen Tu, a CCB investigator and a Neurology faculty, was awarded the "Best Automated Segmentation" Award at the 2007 International Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention conference (http://www.MICCAI2007.org/) in Brisbane, Australia. This award recognizes the novel statistical-learning based method and it's applications pioneered by Dr. Tu for automated detection, representation and analysis of biological shape and form. This competition served the purpose of a comprehensive comparative study of a range of available algorithms on a common database. It also provided the environment for a direct competition between different methods for advanced medical image analysis. We congratulate Dr. Tu and his CCB SIG-STAT in this great international recognition.  View the Award 

Overview

The Center for Computational Biology (CCB) and the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (LONI) are leaders in the fields of computational neuroscience, image computing and bioinformatics. The major foci of our national and international collaborations are to develop multi-resolution, multi-modal and multi-scale computational brain atlases and models of brain structure and function. The CCB is a blend of multidisciplinary imaging experts, mathematicians, statisticians, bioinformaticians, neuroscientists and programmers. Their common research goal is the research and development of new science and software tools for modeling of multi-dimensional biological shape, form and size.

We are looking for (up to 3) bright, enthusiastic, experienced and research-oriented postdoctoral researchers. All CCB fellows work closely within our multidisciplinary faculty and researchers in developing new scientific methods and computational software tools to support our modeling, visualization and analysis needs.

Responsibilities:

A.  Computational Science

1. Develop new and extend existing techniques for shape representation and analysis.
2. Optimization/Discretization approaches for computational modeling.
3. Develop new meta-algorithms for data processing and analysis.
4. Present, communicate and disseminate knowledge, tools and expertise.
5. Close interaction with intramural and extramural collaborators and researchers.

B.  Computational Tools

1. Design, prototyping, analysis and testing of new computational algorithms.
2. Analyze and optimize code through improved resource management, multithreading/parallelization, structure modification.
3. Provide support to researchers, programmers and administrative staff of the Center.
4. CVS/SVN management.
5. General hardware and software support of the Laboratory and the Center.
6. Tool packaging and dissemination.

Requirements:

• PhD, MD, or equivalent, in mathematics, engineering, statistics, computer science or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years extensive experience with Java, C++, Matlab/Mathematica/Other.
• Excellent working knowledge of UNIX, LINUX, Mac and PC.
• Excellent team and independent environment working skills.
• Excellent background in mathematics, statistics, software design, code distribution and image processing.
• Excellent analytical skills and the ability to quickly gain an understanding of complex systems and tools.
• Strong written and verbal communication.

To Apply

Please send your resume to applications@loni.ucla.edu.
Include a cover letter describing your relevant expertise and research interests with your resume as well as other materials that may help us better understand your objectives in your job search and why LONI/CCB might be the place for you. Principals only please.

Tony Chan, CCB Co-Director, will be taking a senior leadership position at the National Science Foundation: a three-year appointment as the new Assistant Director for Mathematics and Physical Sciences. This appointment is a great honor for Dr. Chan and for the CCB. Dr. Chan will be temporarily leaving the CCB and he will be serving our country and the long-range goals of science research in a vital role at the NSF. As assistant director, Dr. Chan will guide and manage research funding with an annual budget of almost $1 billion per year for astronomy, physics, chemistry, mathematics, materials science and multidisciplinary programs. He will head the largest directorate at NSF.

We look forward to Dr. Chan’s return to the CCB after his service at NSF. Because of potential conflicts of interest, Dr. Chan will remain Co-Director in abstention of the CCB. The Center has names Dr. Stott Parker as an acting CCB Co-Director. Dr. Parker will take over the leadership, expertise and advising duties for the period Dr. Chan is at the NSF.