Postdoc in Neural Circuits, Cambridge (UK)

Faculty positions, requests and offers for consulting, postdoctoral openings, etc.
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jefferis
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Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:19 pm

Postdoc in Neural Circuits, Cambridge (UK)

Post by jefferis »

Our lab, within the Neurobiology Division of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, is studying the neural circuits that transform raw sensory information into behaviour. We use the olfactory system, since there is a very rapid transition between sensory detection and neurons that can initiate behaviour and form memories (2 synapses). Our model organism is Drosophila which has 100,000 neuron brain capable of remarkably sophisticated behaviour. We apply a variety of tools including molecular genetics, computational neuroanatomy, confocal and multiphoton microscopy, electrophysiology, optogenetics and behavioural analysis. Through detailed anatomical work we have recently identified large numbers of A) circuit level differences between male and female flies B) genetic driver lines that enable labelling and manipulation of specific higher order olfactory neurons.

We are now looking for new lab members to contribute to the functional analysis of this system. Specific projects might include the neural basis of 1) sex differences in olfactory behaviour 2) innate responses to different classes of general odours 3) integration of food and pheromone information.

We currently have a fully funded post-doctoral position available (supported by a European Research Council grant and core funds from the Medical Research Council for 36 months, renewable). Readers of this forum with relevant experience might include those with a background in patch clamp electrophysiology OR in large-scale neuroscience data analysis with an interest in computational neuroanatomy applied to circuit mapping.

Please contact Greg Jefferis <jefferis@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk> by email for further information or see:

Grosjean Y, Rytz R, Farine JP, Abuin L, Cortot J, Jefferis G.S.X.E., Benton R. (2011).
An olfactory receptor for food-derived odours promotes male courtship in Drosophila. Nature. 478, 236-40.

Cachero, S., Ostrovsky, A., Yu, J., Dickson, B., Jefferis, G.S.X.E. (2010).
Sexual Dimorphism in the Fly Brain. Current Biology Vol 20 18, 1589-1601.

http://jefferislab.org
http://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/group-lea ... g-jefferis
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