PhD Student
PhD studentship, neuroimaging and circuit physiology Full-time
The Functional Neuroimaging laboratory at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (https://www.iit.it/research/lines/functional-neuroimaging), Rovereto (Italy), invites applications for a PhD scholarship to investigate the neural basis of connectivity disruption in brain disorders.
Our research is aimed at identifying the general neural and cellular principles governing the assembly of brain connectivity and its breakdown in developmental disorders. We address these questions at the level of identified cell types by combining neural manipulations (optogenetics, chemogenetics, viral tracing) with cutting-edge small-animal functional imaging and electrophysiological recordings. For reference to recent work relevant to this position, please see Canella et al., BiorXive (2020), Pagani et al., BiorXive (2020), Giorgi et al, Cell Reports (2018).
The successful candidate will have a MSc in neuroscience, biotechnology, pharmacology, psychology, physics, or equivalent. Training in experimental neuroscience and hands-on experience with Matlab, R or other science-related coding platforms is highly desirable.
The four-year studentship aims to provide students with a multi-disciplinary training in conducting research at the interface of biomedical imaging, computational and experimental neuroscience including the use of advanced neural-manipulations.
The studentship is part of the international doctoral school in cognitive and brain sciences, in partnership with the University of Trento (http://web.unitn.it/en/cimec/). Final admission to the doctoral school entails a competitive selection process, as per the doctoral school regulations.
The IIT center in Rovereto is actively expanding its infrastructure for systems level neuroscience research, and is located in Trentino, a region of Northern Italy nestled in the Dolomite Mountains, offering spectacular natural beauty, vibrant culture and exceptional quality of life.
Please send your application (full CV, two academic referees, statement of research interest) to alessandro.gozzi@iit.it