Postdoctorant/e (H/F) dans projet ERC Advanced 'CogniBraIns' - Paris, France - CNRS

Description

About the Job Title and Company:
A fantastic opportunity is available for a Postdoctoral Researcher (M/F) to join the team at the Neurosciences Paris-Seine Laboratory, part of the Paris-Seine Biology Institute. This role is within the Cognitive Neuroethology of Insects (ICON) team led by M. GIURFA, focusing on insect learning and memory, particularly bees.

Position Details:
- Title: Postdoctoral Researcher (M/F) in the ERC Advanced Project 'CogniBraIns'
- Number of Positions: 1
- Location: PARIS 05
- Contract Type: Scientific Fixed-Term
- Contract Duration: 18 months
- Expected Hiring Date: July 10, 2024
- Workload: Full-time
- Salary: Gross salary: €4476.02/month
- Desired Education Level: Level 8 - (PhD)
- Desired Experience: 5 to 10 years
- CN Section(s): Brain, cognition, and behavior

Job Description:
The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to the COGNIBRAINS project, aimed at elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying visual learning abilities in bees placed in a virtual reality setup. Responsibilities include contributing to data and analyses of the neural substrates underlying the studied learning tasks through invasive approaches ranging from neuropharmacology and the use of molecular interference to electrophysiology and multiphotonic calcium imaging on behaving insects.

Key Activities:
- Conduct experiments combining behavioral analysis of bees' visual learning in a virtual reality set-up and analysis of the activity of neural circuits underlying these cognitive tasks through invasive approaches
- Analyze and process behavioral and neurobiological data, and present findings through publications, conference presentations, etc.
- Supervise interns, doctoral candidates, etc.

Required Skills:
- Proven expertise in at least one of the mentioned approaches: neuropharmacology and the use of molecular tools and/or electrophysiology and/or multiphotonic calcium imaging.
- In-depth knowledge of the insect brain is also necessary.
- Ability to analyze signals and statistically process data obtained in various areas of intervention.
- Conduct behavioral experiments on bees' visual learning in virtual reality.
- Familiarity with fundamental aspects of learning and memory theories and the neural networks underlying these abilities in invertebrate brains.

Work Environment:
The research work will be carried out at the Neurosciences Paris-Seine (NPS) laboratory of the Paris-Seine Biology Institute, a unit consisting of 13 teams aiming to understand the fundamental mechanisms underlying the physiology of the central nervous system, brain, and spinal cord. The hired individual will be part of the Insect Cognitive Neuroethology (ICON) team (headed by M. GIURFA), focusing on insect learning and memory, especially bees.

Constraints and Risks:
- Established daily working hours of 7h42, 5 days per week.
- The postdoctoral researcher will also participate in team meetings and events such as conferences, seminars, etc.
- Individuals allergic to bee stings should refrain from applying.

Additional Information:
The research project is part of M. Giurfa's ERC Advanced Grant project COGNIBRAINS, aimed at understanding the principles of visual coding and learning in virtual reality in bees.