Job ID: 98109

Circuit-specific degeneration in Parkinson | ASAP initiative

Position: Post-doctoral Position

Deadline: 15 December 2022

Employment Start Date: 2 January 2023

Contract Length: 2 years

City: Magdeburg

Country: Germany

Institution: Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology

Department: Neuromodulatory Networks / TeamPrigge

Description:

The project aims to better understand differential vulnerability of catecholaminergic brain circuits in Parkinson’s disease. In the newly develop neuromelanin mouse model tg-hTyr, our collaborator Prof. Vila / Barcelona observed a similar sub-regional gradient of neuronal susceptibility that leads to degeneration and progressive dysfunction of specific brain circuits as seen in human PD pathology. Similar to humans, the degeneration of the locus coeruleus also occurs here considerably early than the more prototypical degeneration of striatal regions that eventually leads to classical motor and movement impairments. Here, we aim to use this mouse model to identify initial neuronal circuit dysfunctions and derive functional biomarkers that are indicative for these circuit-specific impairments in early phases of  PD. We developed a new intrabody approach to target optical sensor to synaptic structures and image integrity of such. We will use this new approach to image functionality and health of dopaminergic and noradrenergic synapses in-vivo during on-set of PD. This position is funded by the new Align Science against Parkinson initiative and Michael J. Fox Foundation. All scientific progress and tools will be immediately made available to OpenScience community.

Candidates should ideally have experience with

  • Intracellular electrophysiology (preferentially in acute slice preparation)
  • Intravital 2P imaging in rodents
  • Data analysis in Python, Matlab or R as well as knowledge on imaging processing

We established our lab at the Leibniz Institute of Neurobiology in Magdeburg in 2018, and formed a young and international research group. Our team members have different expertise and supporting each others research projects. The Leibniz Institute is a state-funded research institute dedicate to research on learning and memory with a strong translational drive towards clinical applications. We have strong links to nearby local research groups at the University of Magdeburg, the Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegeneration (DZNE / Magdeburg) and University Clinic Magdeburg.

Magdeburg is an old university city with a quarter of million citizens that is less hourly train connection to Berlin and Leipzig.

Please send short motivation letter, CV and two contacts to prigge.matthias@gmail.com