Winners of the BNA Credibility Prizes 2024
17th April 2024
Job details
The Znamenskiy lab is looking for a postdoctoral fellow interested in studying the relationship between molecular make-up and circuit function of cortical neurons. Our goal is to discover how the gene expression patterns of cortical neurons guide the development of the distinct input/output wiring rules that give rise to their specialized response properties and route their output to appropriate targets. Members of the lab will benefit from access to phenomenal scientific technology platforms of the Francis Crick Institute and its collaborative environment alongside other developmental and systems neuroscience groups.
Excitatory cortical neurons are specialized—they send their long-range projections to a small number of areas and carry different kind of signals depending on where they project. These specializations limit what signals are available to their downstream targets and define the flow of information in the brain. Cortical neurons are also diverse at the molecular level, with every cortical area containing perhaps tens of different classes of excitatory cells, whose repertoire differs between areas. How this genetic heterogeneity influences which input individual neurons select and where they send their axons is not known.
To tackle this question, we are using the primary visual cortex (V1) of the mouse as a model. Projections of V1 target a number of regions, including several higher visual areas that lie immediately adjacent to it. V1 neurons projecting to different higher visual areas show different biases in their responses to visual inputs and make connections with different populations of neurons in the local circuit.
To understand how gene expression programs of V1 neurons determine their projection targets and constrain their functional properties, this postdoctoral project will combine measurements or perturbations of gene expression with detailed analysis of neuronal function in vivo. The details of the project will depend on the candidate’s background and interests but all projects are likely to involve an element of technology development. Therefore, a methodical approach to debugging new techniques and willingness to carry out high-risk high reward experiments would be key qualities for a successful candidate.
In addition, postdoctoral fellows in the lab are expected to collaborate with other members of the team and contribute to other projects aiming to understand the organization of cortical circuits and its developmental origins. Successful candidates are expected to lead their own projects, contribute to other projects on a collaborative basis (both in the lab and with external collaborators) and guide PhD students in their research. The ability to work in a team is essential.
Requirements
The post holder should embody and demonstrate our core Crick values: bold, imaginative, open, dynamic and collegial, in addition to the following:
Desirable skills
How to apply
Contact details
Group leader Petr Znamenskiy: petr.znamenskiy@crick.ac.uk