Job ID: 118734
Postdoctoral research – Sleep enhancement via close-loop auditory stimulation in focal epilepsy
Position: Post-doctoral Position
Deadline: 7 May 2024
Employment Start Date: 1 August 2024
Contract Length: 16 months
City: Ancona
Country: Italy
Institution: Marche Polytechnic University
Department: Department of experimental and clinical medicine
Description:
The Neurologic Clinic of the Marche Polytechnic University and the Brain and Sleep Research Laboratory of the University of Camerino are seeking for 1 full time postdoctoral research fellow (assegno di ricerca) to study the effects of closed-loop acoustic stimulation during sleep in epilepsy.
What will you be doing?
You will test closed-loop acoustic stimulation during sleep in modulating cortical excitability and epileptic activity using high-density electrophysiological recordings (Hd-EEG) and evoked related potentials. You will take a lead role in organizing day to day activities, performing experiments and analysis independently. You will also have the possibility to contribute intellectually to the ongoing research, produce reports of experiments and communicate findings at scientific meetings.
Qualifications and requirements
- PhD or MD degree (awarded or imminent)
- Strong interest in neurology and sleep physiology
- Experience in human electrophysiology is desirable
- Experience in using Matlab, Python or R is an advantage
- First-authored publications in peer-reviewed journals are preferred
- Good communication skills and self-motivation
- Fluent in spoken and written English
Offered contract: 16-month contract. Net monthly salary ~2300 EUR. Preferable starting date: Summer 2024, negotiable.
For application details please enquire (s.lattanzi@univpm.it)
To apply:
https://www.univpm.it/Entra/Recherche_1/Universite_et_entreprises/Studio/Disabilita_e_DSA_Servizio_di_accoglienza/5_per_mille/Assegni_di_ricerca_1/Assegni_di_ricerca_in_scadenza_-_elenco_canale/Assegno_di_ricerca_in_Neurologia_2
The scientific rationale and environment
This research project is part of a collaboration between the Neurologic Clinic of Marche Polytechnic University and the Brain and Sleep Research Laboratory of the University of Camerino aiming at understanding the role of sleep in modulating cortical excitability and epilepsy.
Epilepsy is a serious neurological condition characterized by excessive synchronized electrical discharges across the brain. This abnormal neuronal activity depends on heightened excitability and strengthening of excitatory connections in the brain. Cortical excitability is influenced by synaptic connectivity and fluctuates with wakefulness and sleep. Research indicates that slow wave sleep (SWS) actively reduces cortical excitability and facilitates synaptic downscaling, crucial for effective learning and memory consolidation.
The study aims to investigate the potential of enhancing slow wave sleep (SWS) to reduce cortical excitability and alleviate epileptic activity in patients with focal epilepsy. It proposes to deliver targeted closed-loop acoustic stimulation (TT-CLAS) during sleep in patients and expects to observe increased NREM sleep slow wave activity over the epileptic focus after TT-CLAS, along with a reduction in epileptic activity. The project seeks to explore non-pharmacological sleep enhancement methods for epilepsy treatment.
The research team is composed by Prof. Simona Lattanzi, a neurologist expert in the field of epilepsy, Prof. Luisa de Vivo, a neurobiologist with interests in synaptic plasticity and sleep, and Prof. Michele Bellesi, a neurologist and neuroscientist with expertise in human electrophysiology and closed-loop stimulation.
Complete list of publications of the group can be found at
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=simona+lattanzi