Do you have  a PhD degree or will you receive a PhD degree in 2018 or early 2019 and are you highly motivated to work on a research project that aims to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie alcohol and drug addiction? Then Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam would like to get to know you. Apply for the position of:

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER – NEURONAL CIRCUITRY OF ADDICTION MEMORY

Location:                      AMSTERDAM
Hours per week:          38 hours

Job description
We seek a talented postdoctoral researcher for an NWO-VIDI funded project in the team of Dr. Michel van den Oever at the Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR). The overall objective of the team is to gain mechanistic insight in the neural circuitry that mediates the formation and retrieval of long-lasting associative memories. More specifically, the postdoctoral project will focus on the characterization of the physiological or molecular properties of neuronal ensembles that encode alcohol-cue associations and that drive relapse behavior in mouse models of addiction.

Your duties
• Behavioral paradigms: operant self-administration and conditioned place preference
• Stereotactic intracranial surgeries
• Chemogenetic/optogenetic interventions
• Brain slice physiology (patch-clamp recordings) or molecular biological techniques for proteome/transcriptome analyses (depending on
    experience    of the candidate)

• PhD degree in the field of Neuroscience and affinity with addiction research
• Specialized in rodent behavior paradigms and brain slice physiology or molecular biology
• Candidates with experience in stereotactic intracranial surgeries are encouraged to apply
• At least 1 first-authorship publication in an international peer-reviewed journal. Selection will be based on record of published research.
• Fluency in English and good writing skills
• Potential to obtain external research funding

A challenging position in a socially involved organization. On full-time basis the remuneration amounts to a minimum gross monthly salary of € 2640.- and a maximum € 4166.- in accordance with salary scale 10, depending on your education and experience. The job profile (Onderzoeker 4) is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 1.0 FTE.

The initial employment contract will affect a period of 2 years.

Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:
• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• considerable employer’s contribution to the ABP pension scheme
• contribution to commuting expenses
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. And to be a university where personal education and societal involvement play a leading role. Where people from different disciplines and backgrounds work together on innovations and on generating new knowledge. Our teaching and research embrace the whole spectrum of science – from the humanities, the social sciences and the pure sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 23,000 students. We employ more than 4,500 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible, located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity is one of our university’s core values. We are an inclusive community, and we believe that diversity and international activities enhance the quality of education and research. We are always looking for people who can enhance diversity on our campus thanks to their background and experience.

The Faculty of Science inspires researchers and students to find sustainable solutions for complex societal issues. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to medicines and from molecules to the moon: our teaching and research programmes cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. We share knowledge and experience with leading research institutes and industries, both here in the Netherlands and abroad.

Working at the Faculty of Science means working with students, PhD candidates and researchers, all with a clear focus on their field and a broad view of the world. We employ more than 1,250 staff members, and we are home to around 5,750 students.

The Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology (MCN) lab at the CNCR
At the CNCR, 150 people work closely together in defining how in essence simple molecular and cellular processes shape the emergent complexity of the brain. We have the specific ambition to unravel the mechanisms by which brain cells and circuitry act both in health and disease and aim to translate mechanistic knowledge into understanding of (dys)function of the human brain. Our neuroscience research area covers analysis over many spatial levels, from genes to the intact organism, and over a large temporal scale, from microsecond molecular events to the years of functioning of the human brain. MCN is one out of four labs at the CNCR, currently has 35 members and is headed by Prof. Guus Smit. For more information, please go to our website.

https://mcn.cncr.nl/