Connectionists: PhD position in cellular neuroscience

[Tobias Niemann]

The Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Göttingen invites 
applications for a PhD student position (BATIIa/2) in cellular neuroscience.

The successful candidate will use biophysical methods to characterize 
the synaptic mechanisms that mediate the coding of sound intensity and 
timing by the first synapse in the auditory pathway. Recently, we found 
evidence that at the active zone of the inner hair cell the exocytosis 
of a given synaptic vesicle may be controlled by only one or few nearby 
Ca2+ channel(s). This Ca2+ nanodomain control of transmitter release 
implies that sound coding is determined by the stochastic gating of 
single Ca2+ channels. The successful candidate will study the 
relationship of Ca2+ channel opening and single vesicle exocytosis at 
the microscopic, single active zone level. This will be done by 
cell-attached patch-clamp recordings from inner hair cells and 
accompanying modelling of the synaptic signalling cascade. We are 
looking for applicants with a first degree in a natural science, 
preferably with prior experience in biophysics and neuroscience.

The candidate's PhD research will be supported the recently established 
Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN) in Göttingen. 
Göttingen is a center of neuroscience in Europe hosting numerous 
internationally recognized neuroscience research institutions, including 
three Max Planck Institutes, the European Neuroscience Institute, the 
German Primate Research Center, and Göttingen University's Centers for 
Systems Neuroscience (ZNV) and for the Molecular Physiology of the Brain 
(CMPB). The BCCN integrates theoretical and experimental research groups 
from these institutions to foster interdisciplinary research in 
computational neuroscience specifically supporting close collaboration 
between theorists and experimental researchers.

Please submit your application preferably in one single PDF-document, 
including cover letter, CV, list of publications, names of possible 
referees, relevant certificates to: jobs at bccn-goettingen.de (Subject: 
BioPhAN PhD)

While e-mail is preferred, applications may also be submitted in 
hardcopy to the following address:

Dr. Andreas Neef
Subject: BioPhAN PhD
InnerEarLab
Department of Otolaryngology
University Clinics Goettingen
D-37099 Goettingen
Germany

http://www.bccn-goettingen.de

The BCCN is an equal opportunity employer.