Job ID: 116909
PhD Position in Neuroscience at the University of Freiburg, Germany
Position: Ph.D. Student
Deadline: 31 January 2024
Employment Start Date: 1 March 2024
Contract Length: 3 years
City: Freiburg
Country: Germany
Institution: University of Freiburg
Department: IMBIT//Optophysiology
Description:
PhD Position in Neuroscience at the University of Freiburg, Germany
We have an opening for a highly motivated PhD student to help us investigate the mechanisms of inhibitory control of the motor system by the thalamic reticular nucleus. You will help further our understanding of movement disorders, epilepsy, motor planning, reward expectation, attention, and action selection.
This position is one of two positions funded for three years by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Here, we seek a candidate interested in in vivo optogenetics and miniscope calcium imaging. You will run side-by-side with the PhD student of the in vitroelectrophysiology and two-photon calcium imaging project (see separate job ad). The aim is to join forces in the third year.
If you are:
- curious, enthusiastic, enjoy working collaboratively, and are motivated to tackle a challenging experimental project;
- interested in learning state-of-the-art optophysiological techniques in combination with miniscope calcium imaging or even have experience in one of these techniques;
- interested in TRN neurons, cortical neurons, neurons of the basal ganglia, and their contributions to behaviour;
- interested in behavioural experiments;
- interested in cellular mechanisms determining systemic behaviour
then consider joining us at the Optophysiology Lab at the IMBIT (Intelligent Machine Brain Interfacing Technologies) of the University of Freiburg. It is an exciting opportunity to learn a large variety of skills and to collaborate with researchers from many different disciplines.
Your Profile:
- Ideally you already have some experience with in vivo optogenetic techniques.
- Experience in studying rodent behaviour is beneficial.
- Good data analysis skills with custom scripting (e.g. Python/Matlab).
- You are enthusiastic about physiological and pathophysiological neuronal mechanisms underlying states of activity and motor control.
- You are eager to acquire new skills and techniques and master them.
Interested applicants should send a brief description of research interests, technical skill set, and curriculum vitae, including contact information for three references to ilka.diester@biologie.uni-freiburg.de.
Who we are:
You will be a part of the Optophysiology Lab headed by Ilka Diester at the University of Freiburg. We are a dynamic, international research lab located at the brand new IMBIT research facility, uniting researchers from different disciplines to foster collaborations. The lab’s core research area is cognitive motor control. We apply modern techniques including optogenetics, multielectrode recordings, as well as 1- and 2-photon imaging in trained rodents.
The University of Freiburg has a tradition reaching back to the year 1457 and is among Germany’s strongest research universities. Freiburg is supposedly Germany’s sunniest city and located in the Black Forrest as well as the upper rhine valley, near France (Alsace) and Switzerland (Basel). It is well connected by public transport, is a multicultural city with a high percentage of students, and offers many cultural and recreational activities like hiking, climbing, and skiing.