Job ID: 96615

PhD Candidate for Evolution of Neural Computations Investigated in Human and Non-human Primate Cultured Neural Networks

Position: Ph.D. Student

Deadline: 30 October 2022

Employment Start Date: 1 November 2022

Contract Length: 4 years

City: Nijmegen

Country: The Netherlands

Institution: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour

Department: Biophysics

Description:

Do you have a background in physics, neuroscience, biology or life science (or related fields)? Are you eager to be involved in cutting-edge neuroscience research on cellular-level signal processing mechanisms? Then, you are encouraged to join our team! We are looking for a creative, open-minded, and enthusiastic student for a whole new neurophysiological project. We will apply state-of-art approaches of neurophysiology (patch clamp recording and optical physiology techniques) and genetics (induced pluripotent stem cells) to address evolutional aspects of dendritic signal processing.

We will use cultured neural networks derived from humans and non-human primates and you will be responsible to take care of the maintenance of the culture. You will be working on these cultured neural networks of human and non-human primates to run neurophysiological experiments focused on dendritic physiology.

Profile

  • background in physics, neuroscience, biology or life science (or related fields).
  • enthusiastic to be involved in cutting-edge neuroscience research.
  • eager to learn whatever needed to achieve the goal of this interdisciplinary project.
  • a creative and innovative thinker and a careful experimenter.
  • constructive and articulate, able to discuss computational mechanisms, and enjoys brainstorming.
  • open-minded to work in an interdisciplinary environment.
  • independent and at the same time enjoy social interactions with other members of the institute.

We are

You will be a member of the Visual Neuroscience group at the department of Biophysics at the Faculty of Science (Radboud University), under supervision of Prof. Richard van Wezel, and will work in collaboration with the laboratory of Prof. Nael Nadif Kasri at the Department of Human Genetics & Cognitive Neurosciences (Radboud UMC), where the experiments will take place. The Biophysics is part of the world-renowned Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour. It is a highly interdisciplinary institute for neuroscience with a lively and interactive environment housing more than 800 researchers devoted to understanding the mechanisms of brain function. Kasri’s lab is at Radboud University Medical Centre and is a world-leading research group investigating the neural dynamics of the cultured human neural networks derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of humans in healthy and diseased conditions. State-of-the-art research facilities are available for a broad range of neuroscience techniques at the institute. The Biophysics and Human Genetics departments provide a collaborative, interdisciplinary, supportive research environment with international members. English is the standard language of communication at the institute.