Job ID: 119959

Postdoctoral research associate

Position: Post-doctoral Position

Deadline: 10 September 2024

Employment Start Date: 2 January 2025

Contract Length: 4 years

City: Cambridge

Country: United Kingdom

Institution: University of Cambridge

Department: Physiology, Development and Neuroscience

Description:

We are looking for a highly motivated, proactive and enthusiastic postdoc to work on a Wellcome Trust funded project within the Galliano laboratory the University of Cambridge – https://gallianolab.org/. Our research focuses on investigating how brain cells change in response to altered sensory inputs, and how such changes in brain cells underpin adaptation, learning and memory at the behavioural level. We use mice as model systems, and we probe the brain networks that encode their sense of smell. We are an inclusive, diverse and welcoming group, invested in open-science and outreach, and committed to mentoring and supporting the career development of all members.

You will lead a project investigating how changes in sensory input (such as olfactory deprivation, enrichment, and learning) prompt adaptive and associative plasticity in neurons within the olfactory bulb. This project will employ advanced optical techniques, including 2-photon microscopy and holographic light shaping, to monitor and manipulate neural activity in vivo. The aim is to elucidate how sensory inputs drive different mechanisms of neuronal plasticity in different cell types, and how interactions among different types of neurons enhance circuit output and information transfer to the cortex.

Appointments will be made on a fixed-term, full-time basis for 4 years in the first instance. We are open to discussing various patterns of part-time work to accommodate individual circumstances and/or caring responsibilities. The start date is flexible, but ideally, we would like the position to commence in January 2025. More information on the group, project, person specification, benefits offered by the university (such as subsidized housing), and detailed instructions on how to craft your cover letter and apply can be found here: https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/47775/