As postdoctoral researcher you will be part of multidisciplinary team investigating the influence of light on brain function in mice of difference ages. You will work in the Neurophysiology group of the Molecular Cell Biology Department in collaboration with Computational Neuroscience, Analytical Mathematics and Gerontology.

You should have a PhD in Neuroscience, or in a related discipline, and rich hands-on experience in neurophysiological recording and analysis techniques. Experience with in vivo electrophysiology is strongly preferred, but you should also have some experience with Computational Neuroscience. You must have demonstrated a strong interest in an academic career through your publication record and prior engagements in collaborative, multidisciplinary, research. Furthermore, this position requires a dedicated, enthusiastic, motivated and flexible team player with excellent communicative skills in English. Working in this promising research team will give you an excellent opportunity to develop your own research line.

Fixed-term contract: for 3 years.

You will be employed on the basis of a 36-hour week. Appointment is for 3 years. Your salary will depend on your qualifications and experience, starting at a maximum of € 3,202.- gross per based on a full time position (scale 10, Collective Labour Agreement for University Hospitals).

 The terms of employment offered by the LUMC are highly favorable. For example, you will receive 8% holiday remuneration, a year-end bonus, and a pension arrangement with the National Civil Pension Fund. Also, as employee of one of the University Hospitals in the Netherlands, you can benefit from our collective health insurance policy.

 Moreover, the LUMC offers excellent facilities in the area of education, child-care center, and career advice.

Molecular Cell Biology

The study searches for potential interventions to maintain healthy brain function in the elderly. The aim of the project is to use a murine model to evaluate the impact of environmental light on aging brain circuits. Based on our recent findings that light regimes can influence the balance between excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) neuronal activity, we will investigate how this affects neuronal network function. We will use in vivo and ex-vivo recordings of neuronal activity to determine E/I balance in brain circuits and evaluate sleep-wake rhythms and sleep states as a functional readout.

We want to use light as a tool to manipulate E/I balance in the old brain and evaluate the use light regimes to rectify ageing induced deficiency in brain function.

The LUMC is a center for medical innovation that aims to improve patient care through leading international research. So as to also provide our patients with a safe and friendly environment, we need doctors, medical care specialists, support staff and academic researchers. Researchers in the medical school have close collaborations to other University Departments like Physics, Biology, Mathematics and ties to many bioscience companies located in the fast growing Leiden Bioscience Park next to the hospital.

The Neurophysiology group of the LUMC, headed by Prof. Joke Meijer, is well-positioned amid other high-profile groups with a focus on neuroscience and is part of the Leiden Center for Translational Neuroscience and the Center for Timing Research. The infrastructure of the group includes in vivo recordings setups for freely moving mice and ex-vivo imaging and electrophysiological recordings setups. In addition, core facilities for viral production, stem cell work and confocal, multiphoton and live cell imaging workstations are available in the Department of Molecular Cell Biology.