PhD student/postdoc @  The Evolution and Function of Ancestral Brain States
 

Join us to solve one of the oldest enigmas in neuroscience: what is the function of brain states and how these states evolved. In this project we will utilize the simpler and highly structured state organization in Pogona Vitticeps, to expose the full repertoire of brain states in a naturally behaving animal. We will take advantage of the limited diversity of motor movements in Pogona, to expose the link between population patterns and defined behaviors. We will furthermore exploit the unique evolutionary positions of reptiles as closest to stem amniotes, in which the layered cortex and hippocampus first emerged, to reveal the forces that pushed the emergence of brain states in evolution. Finally, through a comparative analysis of brain state properties between different lizards and mammals we will extract the fundamental properties and functions of brain states and the network that supports them.

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Methods:

• Large-scale electrophysiology (Neuopixels) in head restraint and freely moving animals. 

• Quantitative behavioral analysis.

 

Requirements:

• Passion for science.

• Background in Neuroscience (preference will be given to candidates with good quantitative skills and experience in large-scale electrophysiology / animal behavior).

 

Scholarships/fellowships will be fully funded as part of an ERC (European Research Council) research grant for up to five years.

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For applying or for more information please send an email to shein.mark@gmail.com.

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General call for MA/PhD Students or PostDocs

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We are always looking for outstanding and dedicated students and post-docs.

Requirements: scientific curiosity, a technically oriented mind, problem solving abilities, readiness to face challenges.

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We encourage candidates with diverse backgrounds to apply. Preference will be given to students from the Sagol School for Neuroscience, students with a background in neurobiology, engineering, computer science or physics.

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For applying or for more information please send an email to shein.mark@gmail.com.