The 4th workshop on

Cognitive neuroscience of auditory and cross-modal perception

03 – 05 June 2019, Košice (pronounced KOH-shih-tse), Slovakia

News and updates (click here to view older posts) :

6 Jun:
– Thanks to everybody for a fantastic workshop (photo)! We hope to see you all in 2 years.
– Any comments or suggestions are appreciated, please let us know.
– If you want to share your workshop pictures with the others, you can paste your link into this spreadsheet link.
– Today’s outing will be to Tokaj (see info below).

Objectives:

• This workshop will include advanced research talks (and introductory lectures) on a range of topics related to the neural processes of auditory, visual and cross-modal perception.
• The main focus of this year’s workshop will be on adaptation, learning and training in spatial perception and cognition.
• The talks will illustrate the multidisciplinary character of cognitive neuroscience research, covering behavioral, neuroimaging, and modeling approaches, as well as applications of the research in auditory prosthetic devices.
• The workshop is aimed at early-stage and advanced students and young researchers, and it will provide ample opportunities for direct interactions between the lecturers and the attendees.

The workshop will follow up on our previous workshops. (An electronic version of the proceedings with lectures and assignments from the previous two workshops is available here.)

Format:

1/2-day sessions, including invited talks, contributed talks, and posters focusing on the topics of Adaptation, Learning and training, Auditory and cross-modal perception (general), and Vision and other topics in computational and cognitive neuroscience. (Also, non-scientific program – outings to tourist destinations near Kosice – will be organized on the day before and day after the workshop.)

Invited talks and talks by ALT consortium (for details click here):

• Jana Bašnáková, Slovak Academy Of Science – “ ‘It’s hard to give a good talk’ – the neural correlates of interpreting implicit meaning”
• Robert Baumgartner, Austrian Academy of Sciences – “Effects of spatial auditory cue realism on selective attention control and future perspectives on studying perceptual learning of these cues across the human lifespan”
• Virginia Best, Boston University, USA – “Investigating a visually guided hearing aid”
• Lauren Calandruccio, Case Western Reserve University, USA – “Masked-sentence recognition: the effect of target and masker speech similarity”
• Inyong Choi, The University of Iowa, USA – “Adapting to simultaneous electric and acoustic stimulation for word-in-noise recognition in listeners with single-sided deafness”
• John Culling, Cardiff University, UK – “How to optimise speech intelligibility in rooms”
• Erick Gallun, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, USA – ” Flipping the laboratory: Clinical research tools for bringing psychoacoustical testing to the patient”
• Andrej Kráľ, Hannover Medical School, Germany – “Effective Connectivity Between Primary and Secondary Cortical Areas is Shaped by Early Hearing”
• Norbert Kopčo & Eleni Vlahou, P.J. Šafárik University, Slovakia – “Adaptation to Reverberation in Speech and Distance Perception”
• Bernhard Laback, Austrian Academy of Sciences – “Re-weighting of binaural cues based on visual feedback”
• Piotr Majdak, Austrian Academy of Sciences – “Computational models for listener-specific predictions of spatial audio quality”
• Petr Maršálek, Charles University, Czech Republic – “Just noticeable differences in low frequencies below 500 Hz, loudness, localization; model and psychophysics”
• Catarina Mendonca, University of Azores, Portugal – “Changes in auditory space following audiovisual experience”
• Josefa Oberem, RWTH Aachen University, Germany – “Examining auditory selective attention in complex acoustic environments”
• John van Opstal, Radboud University, Netherlands – “Perceived Target Range Shapes Human Sound-Localisation Behaviour”
• Nelli Salminen, Aalto University, Finland – “Neural correlates of human spatial hearing measured with EEG and MEG”
• Dan Sanes, New York University, USA – “Learning and attention enhance cortex neuron sensitivity during auditory task performance”
• Aaron Seitz, University of California, USA – “Gamifying Perceptual Learning”
• Filip Smolík, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic – “Adaptation and learning in early language acquisition”
• Brigitta Tóth, Hungarian Academy of Sciences – “Top-down and bottom-up attention bias on change detection in auditory foreground and background”
• Beverly Wright, Northwestern University, USA – “Auditory perceptual learning”

Contributed talks and posters

Program :

Monday, 03 June 2019
	Invited Talks. Session Chair: Norbert Kopčo
	8:30-9:05	9:10-9:45	9:50-10:25	10:30-11:05	11:10-11:45
	E. Gallun: Flipping the laboratory: Clinical research tools for bringing psychoacoustical testing to the patient	J. Oberem: Examining auditory selective attention in complex acoustic environments.	L. Calandruccio: Masked-sentence recognition: the effect of target and masker speech similarity.	J. van Opstal:: Perceived Target Range Shapes Human Sound-Localisation Behaviour	D. Sanes:: Learning and attention enhance cortex neuron sensitivity during auditory task performance
	Invited Talks. Session Chair: Erick Gallun
	13:30-14:05	14:10-14:45	14:50-15:25	15:30-16:05	16:10-16:45
	A. Kráľ : Effective Connectivity Between Primary and Secondary Cortical Areas is Shaped by Early Hearing	V. Best : Investigating a visually guided hearing aid	P. Maršálek: Just noticeable differences in low frequencies below 500 Hz, loudness, localization; model and psychophysics	C. Mendonca: Changes in auditory space following audiovisual experience	B. Wright: Auditory perceptual learning
Tuesday, 04 June 2019
	Invited Talks. Session Chair: Piotr Majdak
	8:30-9:05	9:10-9:45	9:50-10:25	10:30-11:05	11:10-11:45
	B. Laback: Re-weighting of binaural cues based on visual feedback	F. Smolík: Adaptation and learning in early language acquisition	B. Tóth: Top-down and bottom-up attention bias on change detection in auditory foreground and background	I. Choi: Adapting to simultaneous electric and acoustic stimulation for word-in-noise recognition in listeners with single-sided deafness	R. Baumgartner: Effects of spatial auditory cue realism on selective attention control and future perspectives on studying perceptual learning of these cues across the human lifespan
	Contributed Talks. Session Chair: René Šebeňa			Contributed Posters
	13:30-15:00			15:15-16:45
	13:30 M. Ferber 13:45 A. Arkhipova 14:00 I. Lin 14:15 A. Yoonessi 14:30 M. Czarnecka 14:45 M. Lindenbeck			O. Spišák, E. Vlahou, R. Šebeňa, G. Andrejková, K. Doreswamy, J. Kirwan, M. Korczyk, S. Koifman, P. Lokša, T. Oes, H. Pöntynen, M. Zimmermann, L. Štěpánková
Wednesday, 05 June 2019
	Invited Talks. Session Chair: Gabriela Andrejková
	8:30-9:05	9:10-9:45	9:50-10:25	10:30-11:05	11:10-11:45
	P. Majdak: Computational models for listener-specific predictions of spatial audio quality	J. Bašnáková: ‘It’s hard to give a good talk’ – the neural correlates of interpreting implicit meaning	A. Seitz: Gamifying Perceptual Learning	J. Culling: How to optimise speech intelligibility in rooms	N. Kopčo, E. Vlahou: Adaptation to Reverberation in Speech and Distance Perception

Instructions for the presenters:

• Invited talks  Each talk has 35 mins assigned to it (30 mins talk; 5 mins discussion), followed by a 5 min break.
  
• Contributed talks Each presentation is scheduled for 15 minutes (13 mins talk; 2 mins discussion).
• Posters Posters will be up during the poster session (Tuesday PM), as well as during the following day (Wednesday AM). Presenters are expected to be at their poster for approximately a half of the poster session, they can explore the other posters during the other half. They are also encouraged to be available to present their posters during the breaks in the Wednesday AM session. Poster boards of 118cm (h) x 70 (w) with pins will be provided.

Social events and outings:

Sun (2 June 13:30-19:00): Outing to Kojsovska hola near Kosice (click here for details and to sign up)
Mon (3 June): Reception (18:00). Venue: Cafe-Restaurant Hotel MARATON, Strojárenská 11A 040 01 KOŠICE (Walking directions)
Tue (4 June): Guided tour of Kosice (17:00). (Click here for details and to sign up)
Wed (5 June 1:30p – 6p): Outing to Zadiel gorge outside Kosice (change of plans due to rain). Feel free to join. No signing up needed. Contact Keerthi (
kk.creare@gmail.com, +421919185728) if you have any questions.
Thu (6 June): Outing to Tokaj Wine Region (11a-3p) and Sirava (3-7p). We are currently booked out for this outing. If you are interested, and don’t mind taking the train, contact Peto Loksa (or, if a spot becomes available we’ll let you know).

Venue:

Lecture hall 2.17T, Faculty of Science / Technicom building, P. J. Šafárik University, Jesenná 5, 04001 Košice Slovakia.

Organizers:

Norbert Kopco, P. J. Safarik University in Košice
Erick Gallun, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, Portland and OHSU
Piotr Majdak, Austrian Academy of Science, Vienna
Aaron Seitz, University of California, Riverside

Organizing team and contact:

Eleni Vlahou, Keerthi, Maike Ferber, Rene Sebena, Perception and Cognition Lab
Email: kogneuro@gmail.com

Practical info:

WIFI Internet: Eduroam and UPJS-guest networks(password will be provided during workshop) are available to get online during the workshop. Ask the reception for further assistance.
Refreshments: Sparkling and still water, tea, and instant coffee will be available during the workshop in the workshop room.

Travel, accommodation, visitor information:

Getting around: You can easily walk almost everywhere within Kosice old town. The workshop venue is a 1/2-hr walk from the railway & bus stations.
Kosice has a reliable public transportation system. You can find a route planner. To get to the workshop from the train/bus stations, you can take the #17 bus or #2 tram to Radnica Stareho Mesta station.The easiest way of getting around is by a cab or an Uber-like peer-to-peer ride-sharing service BOLT (code YWU47 gives you a discount). HOPIN is a taxi hailing app, similar to Uber, but using regular cabs. You can use it to request a cab from any place to any place in Košice, you see the cost prior to ordering, and you can even request a cab driver that speaks English. You can also hail regular cabs on the street, the cost within city should never be more than 3EUR. Or you can call the cab companies. Easy Taxi has a fixed rate of 3EUR anywhere within Košice. American Taxi offers fixed rate of 8EUR to/from the airport.
Another option is a shared bike (see here).

Travel: The Kosice Airport is served by Austrian Airlines, Czech Airlines, Turkish Airlines and LOT Polish Airlines (via Vienna, Prague, Warsow, Kiev, Istanbul and Bratislava), by low-cost airlines Wizzair (London Luton, Bristol, Doncaster Shefield) and Ryanair (serves Kosice from London Southend, it’ll start from 3/31). Alternatively you can fly to Budapest Airport and take a 3.5-hr shuttle bus to Kosice (for example, using the cassoviaexpres or Airtrans.sk). Leo Expres (or Airtrans.sk) offers best shuttle bus connections from Poland (from Krakow or Krakow airport), taking 4 to 5 hrs. Also FlixBus serves many cities directly or with connection from Kosice. More information about how to get to Kosice (also by train or bus) can be found here.

Accommodation: There are several hotels close to the workshop venue, for example Hotel Ambassador, Yasmin, Maraton or Zlatý Dukát (for more hotel options please see http://www.booking.com, http://www.hotels.com, for hostels see: http://www.hostels.com, http://www.hostelworld.com ; previous participants liked Hostel Kosice (above Madrid club), you should get the price of 13EUR/night if you mention that you’re there for our workshop). There is also an option to stay at the university dorm which costs 15 euros/night. Contact organisers for reservation.

Recommended restaurants: Nearby: Sport, Mango, Maraton, Heppi, Santa Lucia, Tip Top, Krcma Letna, Tabacka, Dobre Bistro, Mala Praha, Nico, Gesto. Slovak and international cuisine: Villa Regia, Uhorský dvor (also Hungarian), Jaskyňa (also Middle-Eastern/falafel), Iris (in Zlaty Dukat hotel), Republika východu (The East-Slovak Republic, modern with a traditional twist), Le Colonial, Olive Tree (in Hilton hotel), fast-food and regular restaurants in Aupark shopping center, 12 apoštolov, Camelot, Med Malina, Golden Royal, Atrium (in Teledom hotel), Czech: Budejovická hospoda, Česká hospoda, Polish: Karczma mlyn (Italian): Mediterran, La Ventana, Napoli, Piano, Jazz Garden, Zlatý zvon, Retro Cult Club, French: A la maison, Middle-Eastern: Kleopatra-Agadir, Burekas, Vegetarian/vegan: Halmi (gluten-free vegan), Ajvega, Madrid (has vegan options, limited menu, dinner only), Indian: Góvinda, Little India, Taj Mahal, Steak house: Rosto, Ukrainian: Barvinok, Sushi/Thai/Asian: Bamboo, Maiko sushi, Greek: Korfu, Vietnamese: Asia fast food, Turkish: Osman city (fast food), Breakfast: Rozpravka. Beer: Golem micro brewery, Hostinec, Luxor, Dobre casy, Red Nose, Madrid. Wine: Dva a dve, Villa Cassa, Vinoteka Loefler, Barrique – Pivotéka & Vinotéka.

Visitor Information, Current Events and Activities:

Košice is/was hosting the 2019 ice-hockey world championship and it was the European Capital of Culture in 2013 (thanks to which a lot of new cultural venues were built, including a kulturpark, kunsthalle, and a science park called Steelpark). A well-updated web page with events and trip ideas (as well as accommodation and other tourist info) is http://www.visitkosice.org/en .

Here is a list of optional activities and “English-friendly” cultural events in Kosice during the workshop.

• Exhibitions:
  • Klamarium/Illusorium (exhibition of Visual Illusions prepared by our colleagues from the Czech Academy of Science) in Kasarne/Kulturpark. 
    
  • Wolfgang von Kempelen (exhibition of the 18th century inventor of the mechanical Turk who also worked on speech research) at the Slovak Technical Museum(info in English about other exhibitions in this museum is a the bottom of this page)
• More options: 
  
  • You can visit the Tourist Info Center near the Cathedral to find out more about the events.
  • Theater and philharmonic orchestra.
  • Walks and small trips: Botanical Garden, Zoo, Kosice Castle and Watchtower (info in Slovak).
    
  • Use the city street-art festival June 5-9, 2019 and link to this web (currently only in Slovak).
  • Movies (most international movies have original sound track and Slovak subtitles): Daily schedule of movie theaters with English movie titles (go to section Film; look for movies with “titulky”)

Registration:

The workshop is open to all interested students/scientists. Registration is free of charge but required. To register, please send an email to kogneuro@gmail.com stating your full name and affiliation and the dates on which you are planning to attend. All accepted abstracts will be published on the workshop website and in the abstract book. No proceedings will be published. In case you would like to have a presentation please send us an abstract (up to 200 words; also indicate whether you prefer poster or oral presentation) no later than May 15 2019.

The invited speakers are provided with accommodation with breakfast, refreshments, and transportation for social events during the workshop. Light refreshments will also be provided for the registered participants. /
Pre pozvaných prednášajúcich je zabezpečená účasť a preprava v rámci sprievodných spoločenských akcií workshopu, ubytovanie s raňajkami, občerstvenie počas workshopu. Pre registrovaných účastníkov bude poskytnuté občerstvenie počas workshopu.

This workshop is supported by the EU H2020-MSCA-RISE-2015 project #691229.