Job ID: 121951

PhD position: in vivo imaging and electrophysiology in hippocampus development

Position: Ph.D. Student

Deadline: 7 March 2025

Employment Start Date: 1 April 2025

Contract Length: 3 years

City: Würzburg

Country: Germany

Institution: University of Würzburg

Department: Department of Neurophysiology

Description:

The Department of Neurophysiology at the University of Würzburg is seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to join our research on the functional maturation of hippocampal networks in vivo. This position is available immediately and initially funded for three years (salary according to TV-L E13 65%). The project employs cutting-edge in vivo two-photon Ca²⁺ imaging and electrophysiology to address fundamental questions in developmental neuroscience.

 

We offer

  • A challenging and highly engaging research project
  • Access to state-of-the-art techniques, including two-photon microscopy, patch-clamp and LFP electrophysiology, opto- and chemogenetics
  • Structured doctoral research training within the international Graduate School of Life Sciences (GSLS) Würzburg (https://www.graduateschools.uni-wuerzburg.de/life-sciences/)
  • An inclusive, open, and friendly work environment
  • Strong commitment to career development
  • Opportunities to partcipate in national and international conferences

 

Your tasks will include

  • In vivo two-photon Ca²⁺ imaging and LFP recordings in mice
  • In vitro patch-clamp electrophysiology (acute brain slices)
  • Optogenetic and/or chemogenetic approaches
  • Computational data analysis

 

Your profile

Essential:

  • Strong background in experimental neuroscience
  • Willingness to conduct in vivo experiments (in mice)
  • Deep interest in cellular neuroscience and ambition to pursue a scientific career
  • Highly motivated, self-organized, and capable of working independently as well as in a team
  • Proficiency in English (both written and spoken)

 

Desirable (but not mandotory):

  • Experience with either Ca²⁺ imaging
  • Experience with patch-clamp
  • (FELASA) certfication for animal experimentation
  • Knowledge in computational data analysis/programming (e.g., Matlab)

 

If you are passionate about neuroscience and excited to work with advanced imaging and electrophysiological techniques, we encourage you to apply! Please submit your application—including your CV, certificates, and a description of your qualifications and research interests—preferably as a single PDF, to Prof. Knut Kirmse (http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9206-214X) at knut.kirmse@uni-wuerzburg.de.