Postdoctoral Fellow - Patch-clamp electrophysiology (Kohl lab

Postdoctoral Fellow - Patch-clamp electrophysiology (Kohl lab) Contract term:

This is a full-time, fixed term (4 years) position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.

The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher.

This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

The Kohl lab uses a multidisciplinary strategy, ranging from in vivo calcium imaging and in vivo / ex vivo electrophysiology to behavioural profiling, viral circuit tracing and molecular approaches to investigate the neuronal and circuit-level mechanisms by which physiological states alter information processing in the brain.

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Fellow to join the lab on a 4-year fixed term contact. There is flexibility in the project choice, which will be jointly design to match your interests. The key directions of the project will revolve around: (1) investigating how hormonal states and social experience modulate neuronal and circuit-level information processing across brain-wide parenting circuits, and (2) exploring how neurons within circuits for instinctive behaviours change their functional roles throughout life.

You will employ slice electrophysiology and in vivo calcium imaging and/or electrophysiology, and other cutting-edge cellular and circuit-level techniques to study plasticity in instinctive behaviour circuits. Prior knowledge in patch-clamp electrophysiology is essential for this position.

This multidisciplinary project will be performed in close collaboration with leading systems neuroscience groups at the Crick, providing a dynamic and highly supportive research environment and will give you a chance to work with various teams at the Crick.

Our team currently includes three postdocs, four PhD students, three research scientists, and one MSc student. We are committed to maintaining a supportive and collaborative research environment, and we particularly value collegiality and open scientific discussion.

Some of your key responsibilities will focus on:

• Designing experiments
• Carrying out experimental protocols
• Reporting findings
• Assisting and/ or supervising junior members of staff
• PhD in Neuroscience or a related field or in the final stages of PhD submission*
• Excellent knowledge and experience of patch clamp electrophysiology, preferably in brain slices *
• Experience in data analysis in Python or MATLAB*
• Track record of writing papers as evidenced by publications or submitted manuscripts in referred journals *
• Evidence of data presentation at scientific meetings

Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick’s mission and shaping our culture!

• We are
  bold
  . We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently.
• We are
  open
  . We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world.
• We are
  collegial
  . We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued,…