Doctoral researcher in retinal electrophysiology Cluster of Excellence NaviSense

The School VI of Medicine and Health Sciences comprises the fields of human medicine, medical physics and acoustics, neurosciences, psychology and health services research. Together with the four regional hospitals, School VI forms the University Medicine Oldenburg. Furthermore, the university cooperates closely with the University Medicine of the University of Groningen.

The Cluster of Excellence Navi Sense for the Sensory Basis, Mechanisms, and Impacts of Animal Navigation is a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary research project hosted at the University of Oldenburg and involving national and international partner institutions. As a diverse and international team of scientists from biology, physics, chemistry, computer sciences and social sciences we provide a thorough, interdisciplinary understanding of the senses and mechanisms used by animals to navigate, and how these mechanisms can inspire technology and impact society, ecology, and biodiversity.

Navi Sense performs research in the areas of (1) animal navigation mechanisms and their underlying senses, (2) quantum effects at ambient temperature in model systems and biology, (3) ecological and conservation related consequences of animal navigation, and (4) links biological and technical systems through models, algorithms, and devices. The acquired knowledge can help to solve major societal questions related e.g. to the biodiversity crisis, GPS independent navigation, and quantum sensing at ambient temperature.

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Your project will help to understand the navigationally relevant information encoding in the retina of migratory birds. Migratory birds rely on a wide range of sensory information for navigation, much of which is thought to originate in the retina, including compass information based on celestial cues, such as the sun and stars, as well as the Earth's magnetic field. Around dusk and dawn, night-migratory birds calibrate these compass systems, potentially using visual information such as the spectral composition, gradients, and polarization patterns of the sky.

During flight, optic flow provides additional information about movement over the ground, flight speed, duration, and drift. How the retina processes and integrates these different sources of information, particularly under low-light conditions, is largely unknown. You will investigate how low-light, polarization, optic flow, and potentially magnetic information are encoded and transmitted to the brain. By combining multi-electrode recordings from large populations of retinal ganglion cells with controlled visual and magnetic stimulation, we aim to identify retina-based signals and pathways that contribute to navigation in migratory birds.

• Design, conduct, and analyse multielectrode recordings of the avian retina in collaboration
• Data analysis using Matlab or similar
• Collaborating with other researchers on interdisciplinary research projects and publications
• Participation in Navi Sense events like retreats and seminars to present your research, strengthen scientific discussions and team building (considering individual possibilities)
• Mandatory participation in our qualification program hosted in the Nav Next Gen  Academy (see below)

• A completed university degree (Diploma (Uni) / Master’s) in a relevant subject
• Relevant research experience
• Fluency in spoken and written English

• Background in visual neuroscience or computational neuroscience
• Dedication for the research field
• Enthusiasm for and willingness to engage in interdisciplinary and international collaborations across many different fields of expertise
• Ability to work independently
• Showing team spirit
• Good communication skills

• Being part of a unique interdisciplinary, collaborative, international and diverse research team and scientific environment
• Access to a very wide range of expertise, modern equipment and state-of-the-art techniques
• You and your peers will be part of our qualification program hosted in the Nav Next Gen  Academy which will allow you to participate in conferences, excursions, courses, and workshops with great networking opportunities, research training, and career and mentoring programs, to further promote your personal and professional development
• Guidance during your onboarding phase and support during your doctorate
• Payment in accordance with collective bargaining law (special annual payment, public…