PhD student - Energy metabolism in synapse development NIN-Amsterdam

What you will be doing?

The developing mouse visual cortex is wiring up during the week before eye opening and neurons establish most of their synapses during that time. Synaptic transmission is very energy demanding and developing neurons need to provide sufficient energy to fuel transmission at emerging synapses. In this Health-Holland funded project, we will measure the energy balance of developing synapses, how synaptic plasticity affects the energy balance of neurons and whether energy metabolism at developing synapses may be compromised in mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders.

You will be able to take advantage of the latest microscopy approaches, such as 2-photon microscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging, to investigate how developing synapses satisfy their energy demands. Since these processes underly proper wiring of the brain, it is not surprising that errors in energy metabolism are associated with developmental disorders and therefore your project may not only help better understand brain wiring, but also shed light on the underlying causes of developmental cognitive disorders.

Who are we looking for?

You are a highly motivated, self-driven candidate with a Master’s degree in neuroscience, (neuro)psychology, biomedical sciences or natural sciences. The ideal candidate will have experience with neurophysiological and/or live cell imaging techniques and a solid background in neuroscience. Programming skills - in particular with Python for data analysis - will be very useful for your project. You are a team player and comfortable communicating, presenting and writing in English.

Terms of employment
Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is € 2.770 and the maximum salary is € 3.532 gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale P cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).

For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: werken bij de KNAW.

The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience is the country's leading fundamental neuroscience research institute, in the international and progressive city of Amsterdam. It provides a critical mass of scientists (spanning more than 27 nationalities) and neuroscience facilities, in a highly interactive, dynamic, multi-cultural environment, with English as the working language.

Are you interested in how synaptic plasticity and mitochondrial function help wire the developing brain? Do you want to use cutting-edge optical techniques for live cell imaging, including 2-photon microscopy? Would you enjoy working in an international environment where you follow up on your ideas with the support of experts around you? Then this job may be for you.