PhD position in neuroscience at Utrecht University

France - BioImaging; Utrecht; Hybrid; EUR 34,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

18-month position

Pension scheme

Holiday pay

Year-end bonus

Job summary

PhD position at Utrecht University in neuroscience, led by Dr. Ting-Feng Lin, focusing on learning and memory with cerebellar emphasis.

The project blends engineering and neurobiology, building a light-sheet microscope for voltage imaging in zebrafish and examining Purkinje cell signaling with Voltron2 indicators.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Biology or Engineering required.
• Interdisciplinary background preferred.
• Strong interest in neuroscience.
• Experience with live imaging is desirable.
• Proficiency in English.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to both engineering and neurobiology aspects of the project.
• Help build a light-sheet microscope optimized for voltage imaging.
• Use the microscope to study cerebellar Purkinje cells with voltage indicators.
• Investigate how dendritic signaling and spiking change under conditioning.

Skills

English proficiency

Neuroscience interest

Live imaging

Interdisciplinary background

Collaborative teamwork

Education

Master’s degree in Biology or Engineering

Tools

Light-sheet microscope

Job description

PhD position in neuroscience at Utrecht University

D r. Ting-Feng Lin is looking for a PhD student to join his research team, dedicated to uncovering the mechanisms of learning and memory, with a particular focus on the cerebellum.

The project

It is widely accepted that synaptic plasticity constitutes the cellular correlate of learning. Yet, synaptic plasticity alone is insufficient to fully account for learning. Other mechanisms, such as intrinsic plasticity of membrane excitability, have been shown to be necessary for memory formation. Still, it remains unclear how intrinsic plasticity contributes to memory encoding and alters cognitive processes. In this project, we will leverage the advanced voltage imaging in larval zebrafish to investigate how intrinsic plasticity reshapes neuronal behavior.

Your objectives

In this project, you will contribute to both engineering and neurobiology. First, you will help build a light-sheet microscope optimized for voltage imaging at the single-cell and subcellular level in live larval zebrafish (1). The development of this system will be supported by Dr. Emmanuel Marquez Legorreta , Dr. Ernest van der Wee , and the Biology Image Center team. Once the microscope is established, you will use it to investigate the electrophysiological properties of cerebellar Purkinje cells with advanced voltage indicators such as Voltron2.

The ultimate goal is to uncover how Purkinje cells alter their dendritic signaling and spiking characteristics under different sensory or chemogenetic conditioning paradigms, and to determine how these changes may be mediated throughintrinsic plasticity or brain state.

(1) Böhm UL, Kimura Y, Kawashima T, Ahrens MB, Higashijima SI, Engert F, Cohen AE. Voltage imaging identifies spinal circuits that modulate locomotor adaptation in zebrafish. Neuron. 2022 Apr 6;110(7):1211-1222.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.001. Epub 2022 Jan 31. PMID: 35104451; PMCID: PMC8989672.

Desired profile

We are looking for a collaborative and responsible new colleague who meets several or all of the following criteria:

• Holds a Master’s degree in Biology or Engineering. Current Master’s students who have completed their first internship are also encouraged to apply!
• Has an interdisciplinary background, preferably with engineering training during either their Bachelor’s or Master’s program.
• Demonstrates a strong interest in, or prior experience with, neuroscience.
• Show enthusiasm for live imaging at single-cell and subcellular level in larval zebrafish.
• Speak and write proficient academic English.

General information

• Position for 18 months, with an extension to a total of four years upon successful assessment in the first 18 months
• Gross monthly salary between € 3.059 and €3.881 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU)
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus
• Pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU

For more information, read the document attached below. You can also contact Dr. Ting-Feng Lin at [e-mail]