PhD candidate \"When vascular clearance fails: can brain networks be restored?\"

Uva; Amsterdam; Hybrid; EUR 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Uva invites applications for a PhD candidate to work on a project funded by the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences. The research aims to understand how neurovascular deficits and aging affect brain circuits involving the thalamus.

The candidate will employ multidisciplinary techniques (patch-clamp, optogenetics, mouse behaviour, stereotaxic surgery) to test the overarching hypothesis and will defend a PhD thesis within four years, while engaging in lab meetings and graduate training.

Qualifications

• MSc in neurosciences (or related area) within the last few years.
• Interest in aging biology and Alzheimer’s disease is desirable.
• Ability to work independently and in a team, with good communication.

Responsibilities

• Defend a PhD thesis within four years.
• Use multidisciplinary approaches to measure/manipulate thalamic circuits and behaviour.
• Maintain accurate records and stay current with literature.

Skills

Independent working

Team contribution

Communication skills

Discipline & organization

Education

MSc in neurosciences

Tools

Patch-clamp

Optogenetics

Mouse behaviour

Stereotaxic surgery

Job description

Join Us!

We are looking for an enthusiastic PhD candidate to work on a research project funded by the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, which aims to investigate how neurovascular deficits and aging affect brain circuits involving the thalamus.

This is what you will do

Cerebrovascular dysfunction, such as loss of the endothelial transporter lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1), which clears a variety of compounds from the brain, including amyloid beta, is increasingly recognized as a major driver of cognitive decline, increased excitability, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology. However, how microvascular pathology impacts brain wide networks, including thalamus, cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum, remains largely unknown.

In this PhD project, you will test the overarching hypothesis that endothelial LRP1 loss in mice disrupts brain wide networks, leading to impaired coherence, increased excitability, disturbed sleep patterns, and exacerbated amyloid pathology. Furthermore, you will test whether enhancing cAMP/cGMP signaling with a selective phosphodiesterase-1 (PDE1) inhibitor and applying deep brain stimulation can ameliorate vascular and circuit dysfunction.

Tasks and responsibilities

• complete and defend a PhD thesis within the official appointment duration of four years;
• use multidisciplinary approaches (patch-clamp, optogenetics, mouse behaviour, stereotaxic surgery) to measure/manipulate thalamic circuits and behaviour;
• perform your experiments in a systematic and well controlled manner;
• keep accurate records by thoroughly documenting and organising your work;
• stay on top of the relevant scientific literature;
• discuss your work in our lab meetings, incorporate feedback and give input to others;
• assist in teaching and supervise BSc/MSc students during their research internship;
• participate in the Faculty of Science PhD and Graduate School Neurosciences training programmes.

You will get the opportunity to

• learn a wide variety of experimental and data analysis techniques;
• build a network as part of our (inter)national collaborations;
• present your work at (inter)national meetings;
• continuously hone your academic, professional and personal skills;
• contribute to the science communication and outreach activities of the lab.

What we ask of you

You work well independently but are also willing to contribute to team efforts. You are a nice colleague with good communication skills. You use your organizational skills to ensure efficient planning and project management, enabling you to meet deadlines. Your work shows that you pay attention to detail, but you also have eye for the bigger conceptual picture. You draw on your critical thinking and problem‑solving skills when needed.

Your experience and profile:

• a recent MSc degree in the neurosciences (or a related area);
• a strong interest in aging biology and Alzheimer’s disease;