ONE FULLY FUNDED 3-YEAR PH.D. POSITION IN CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY

Position.
Ph.
.
Student Deadline.
2 June Employment Start Date.
1 November Contract Length.
3 years City.
Trieste Country.
Italy Institution.
University of Trieste Department.
Department of Life Sciences Description.
This project aims to investigate some of the fundamental plastic properties of neurons, the cells responsible for the release of neurotransmitters in the brain that underlie complex behavioral functions such as memory and cognition.
Specifically, the student will learn a range of advanced neurophysiological technologies and use them to elucidate the relationship between the precise subcellular localization of calcium channels at presynaptic sites and how they can be recruited by synaptic activity.
The work will be developed in collaboration between the University of Trieste, the University Medical Center Göttingen (Germany), which will be involved in advanced microscopy experiments, and CyNexo, a local company excelling in mechatronic engineering, which will help develop a compact device for stimulating and reading neuronal activity.
The main objectives of this work are.
1) define the distribution of calcium channels in different activity regimes using tailored and precise labeling and high-resolution microscopy; 2) clarify the impact of recruited channels on synaptic efficiency using calcium imaging and optogenetics; and 3) evaluate the role of re-localization in human pathology by studying mutant channels from patients with disorders associated with brain diseases.
Overall, the project is expected to provide a new paradigm for understanding how presynaptic plasticity is regulated.
To apply for the position, write the PIs directly and include the following documents (as.
df) in your application package.
1) A concise (max 2 pages) but complete curriculum vitae, focusing on any research experience and graduate work (including an education section with university degree and language proficiency, the professional appointments and lab experience section detailing the technologies used, a list of publications and possibly awards, fellowships and oral presentations at congresses); 2) A detailed transcript of graduate and undergraduate degrees; 3) A one-page summary of your graduate work (i.
., Master’s degree or equivalent).
The thesis language must be English.
If you have not yet graduated, you must graduate no later than October .
In this case, you will submit an English abstract of your ongoing research (i.
.
your future thesis).
4) A personal statement where you describe your goals, express your motivation and the reasons why you want to be enrolled in the Neuroscience PhD program in Trieste (in English); 5) Two (or more) letters of reference.
You should obtain at least one reference letter from two (or more) former supervisors or teachers who know you well.
The letters, written in English, may be included in the package if the referees’ e-mail addresses and contact information are clearly indicated in the headers of the letters.
Expect that former supervisors or teachers will be contacted during the evaluation process, and inform them accordingly.