Research Assistant/PhD Studentship: Neural Development- University of Cambridge

Vacancy Reference Number

PF21017

Closing Date

25 Nov 2019

Salary

£26,715 to £30,942

Address

Cambridge, UK

Duration

4 years

A position of Research Assistant/PhD Studentship is available to conduct a PhD project jointly in the groups of Dr Matthias Landgraf, Department of Zoology, and Dr Timothy O'Leary, Department of Engineering.

How do nervous systems self-organise to produce fully formed motor behaviour in only a few days?

We are seeking a creative student with a mathematical or engineering background to help us understand the core principles. This is a collaborative project, funded by the Wellcome Trust, that combines mathematical modelling, computation and ideas from AI, robotics and control with cutting-edge experimental methods.

You will work on:i) developing a computational model of parts of the locomotor circuitry of Drosophila, grounded in existing data on connectivity and electrophysiology; ii) determining cellular and network parameters that are critical for attaining circuit stability during development; iv) contributing to the verification and extension of the Drosophila locomotor circuitry connectome, as part of an international connectomics collaboration, led by Drs Albert Cardona and Marta Zlatic.

Essential:

• Interest in (computational) neuroscience
• BSc or equivalent qualification in a relevant field (engineering, mathematics/statistics, physics, computer science)
• Mathematical and programming skills (e.g. Matlab, Python, C/C++, R, Perl, Java)
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to organise time and work effectively, independently and responsibly in a research team setting; setting targets and meeting deadlines

For more information and to apply, please click here. 

Contact Details

Informal enquiries can be addressed to: Dr Matthias Landgraf (ml10006@cam.ac.uk)