Connectionists: Call for PhD scholarship - Social Coding in Mouse Cortex with Longitudinal Imaging and Computational Modeling

[Lorenzo Fontolan]

Dear colleagues,

Apologies for cross posting. We are pleased to announce the opening of a PhD position at INMED (Aix-Marseille University) through the SCHADOC program, focused on the neural coding of social interactions and memory in the cortex of behaving mice.

The project will investigate how social behaviors essential for cooperation, mating, and group dynamics are encoded in the brain, and how these processes are disrupted in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.

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Project Overview

This project uses longitudinal calcium imaging and population-level data analysis to study how cortical circuits encode social interactions in mice. Recordings from mPFC and S1 in wild-type and Neurod2 KO mice will be used to extract neural representations of social memory. The candidate will develop and apply computational models of neural dynamics and representational geometry to uncover how these codes evolve over time and are disrupted in social amnesia.



Key features

• Combination of systems neuroscience, data analysis, and computational modeling

• High-density, longitudinal calcium imaging in freely behaving animals

• Strong quantitative and analytical component

• Integration in an international and interdisciplinary research environment



Supervision

• Supervisor: Dr. Lorenzo Fontolan, INMED (Aix-Marseille University)

• Co-supervisor: Dr. Antoine de Chevigny, INMED (Aix-Marseille University)

• Consultant: Leo Guignard, IBDM (Aix-Marseille University)



The ideal candidate will have a strong background in neuroscience, physics, engineering, or applied mathematics, with experience or interest in data analysis, computational neuroscience, and systems-level brain function.

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More information here:

https://schadoc.univ-amu.fr/en/call-candidates/call-candidates/health-well-being/socialcode
We would appreciate it if you could circulate this opportunity to interested students or relevant mailing lists. For any further information, feel free to get in touch.



Best regards,

Lorenzo Fontolan

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Group Leader CENTURI 

Institute de Neuroscience de la Mediterranée (INMED)
Centre de Physique Théorique (CPT)
Aix-Marseille University
Campus scientifique de Luminy
13009 Marseille, France
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