Post-doctoral position in Neuroscience - #44885

Commitment & contract: 2 years, full time, renewable

Location: Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia

The Rossi Lab invites applications for a postdoctoral position at the Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems (CNCS), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rovereto (Italy).

The successful candidate will investigate the synaptic connectivity and plasticity of cortical circuits underlying adaptive visual processing and visually guided behaviour, using the mouse model.

THE ROLE

The Functional Architecture of Neural Circuits research unit is coordinated by Federico Rossi and aims to understand how the specialised activity of individual neurons and brain areas emerges from the architecture of their synaptic connections, how gene expression predisposes their organisation, and how plasticity enables learning. To address these questions, we study the neural architectures underlying adaptive visual processing and visually guided behaviour in mice, combining approaches from systems neuroscience, physiology, anatomy, and molecular biology to link function, connectivity, and gene expression across scales.

The Rossi lab is a co-founder and supporter of the SAFE Labs network. Details on the lab culture and policies can be found here: https://rossilab.iit.it/lab-culture

The researcher will join a growing diverse, multidisciplinary and collegial group, and will be offered direct training, supervision and mentorship from the principal investigator. They will be also encouraged to attend top international workshops and courses, as well as training provided within IIT and our partners at University of Trento.

The IIT-CNCS in Rovereto is located in Trentino, a region of Northern Italy nested between lake Garda and the Dolomite mountains, offering easy access to spectacular natural beauty, mountaineering, skiing and exceptional quality of life. (https://www.iit.it/it-IT/cncs-unitn/).

The postdoctoral researcher will study the connectivity and plasticity of circuits linking visual and motor cortical areas. The project combines:

• development of novel visually guided behavioral tasks
• two-photon imaging, including dendritic and synaptic imaging
• connectivity mapping with viral tracing and optogenetics

The goal is to determine how computations at the level of dendrites, local circuits, and inter-areal communication contribute to learning new visuo-motor associations.

The postholder will: lead and execute independent research projects; present findings at international conferences; contribute to writing manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals; provide training and supervision to PhD and Master’s students.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• A PhD in in neuroscience or a related STEM or engineering disciplines
• critical thinking and scientific independence;
• experience in neurophysiological (imaging or ephys) methods;
• solid data analysis and programming skills in Python or Matlab;
• expertise in designing and controlling experimental and behavioural setups;
• Strong publication record
• Effective science communication skills in English.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

• Track record in student supervision or teaching
• Experience in circuit or visual neuroscience
• Experience with molecular biology

COMPENSATION PACKAGE

• A yearly gross salary up to 35k Euro
• Initial 2-year contract, fully funded, renewable up to 5 years.
• Private health care cover
• Researchers relocating to Italy after >2 years abroad (or after a PhD abroad) may be eligible for a 90% tax exemption, significantly increasing net salary.

While fully funded, successful candidates will receive strong support to apply for prestigious fellowships, including EMBO, Marie Skłodowska-Curie, HFSP, L’Oréal–UNESCO, and Newton International Fellowships.

This open position is financed by Human Technopole – Early Career Fellowship to Federico Rossi, within the project Synaptic and trascriptomic architecture of cortical visuo-motor circuits

Please submit your application using the online form and including a detailed CV, PhD certificate, cover letter and 2 reference letters.

Application’s deadline: 7th of June