Ph.D. Student in Berlin/Seewiesen/Germany

Many species use vocalizations to communicate with each other. These vocalizations range from affective, innate utterances to learned complex vocal sequences. How these diverse levels of complexity are accomplished and how the vocal neural network produces the vocal variety is not well understood. The Scharff & Vallentin Labs aim to answer this question by studying vocal behaviors in zebra finches.
We combine molecular, electrophysiological and histological techniques with behavioral assays and sophisticated data analysis.
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with an academic university degree (master or equivalent) in the field of neuroscience, computer science, physics, mathematics, biomedical engineering, biology, or related disciplines to join our team. The candidate should be highly motivated and enthusiastic about fundamental neuroscience research and willing to actively participate in scientific exchange in a multidisciplinary work. The applicant must be mobile since this is a collaboration conducted in Berlin (Freie Universität Berlin) and Seewiesen (Max Planck Institute for Ornithology).

Applicant’s profile:
• Background in Neuroscience
• Programming skills
•Responsibility in animal training
• motivated to publish in peer-reviewed journals
• Computer based analysis of behavioral experiments

Applicant’s responsibilities:
- conduct research (including data acquisition and analyses) in the context of vocal communication
- prepare project-based publications
- participate in organizational and administrative tasks
- teaching obligations at FU Berlin

Please submit the following application documents electronically to Prof. Constance Scharff (constance.scharff@fu-berlin.de) and Dr. Daniela Vallentin (daniela.vallentin@orn.mpg.de):
Please include the following subject number 21252900/06/21

(1) Letter of motivation
(2) Curriculum vitae
(3) Degree certificates
(4) Names and email-addresses of two referees
(5 ) List of publications