Neuroscience PhD Candidate

Understanding how patterns of neural activity give rise to behavior is a central challenge in neuroscience. Most of what we know about this relationship comes from rodent experiments performed under tightly controlled laboratory conditions. While these approaches are essential for identifying neural mechanisms, they capture only a fraction of the behavioral repertoire animals display in more complex environments.

Candidates who do not meet all formal criteria but demonstrate strong affinity and motivation for the topic are strongly encouraged to apply

Ideally, you have:

• A Master’s degree in neuroscience, biology, biomedical sciences or a related discipline, with relevant experience in behavioral, computational and/or systems neuroscience. If you have completed all the requirements of your degree but are awaiting the official award, a statement from your university that all requirements are met is sufficient. 
• A strong interest in neural circuits and rodent behavior.
• Experience with animal experimentation. Preference will be given to candidates with an Article 9 license (FELASA accreditation), or previous hands-on experience with animal experimentation.
• An interest in combining behavioral neuroscience with quantitative and computational approaches. Preference will be given to candidates that have previous experience analyzing neural or behavioral datasets, or used deep-learning based behavioral tracking (for example DeepLabCut or SLEAP).
• Experience with, or a strong motivation to learn Python or Matlab.
• An excellent command of English (oral and written). Candidates are exempted from proving proficiency in English if they (i) completed a secondary education (HAVO or VWO certificate) in the Netherlands, (ii) are a native English speaker, or (iii) completed a Bachelor or Master degree programme which was fully taught in English. If you are not exempt please provide sufficient evidence with your application, see the guidelines here: https://www.rug.nl/education/phd-programmes/prospective/phd-positions/english-language-requirements

In this project, you will investigate how neural population activity relates to behavior across environments ranging from standardized laboratory assays to large outdoor enclosures. Using miniaturized calcium imaging, you will record the activity of large populations of neurons in freely behaving mice and determine how neural activity relates to moment-to-moment behavioral changes.

A major component of the project will make use of large outdoor mouse enclosures at the University of Groningen. These environments allow mice to express a rich repertoire of species-typical behaviors, including exploration, shelter use, social interactions and responses to changing environmental conditions. You will combine RFID tracking, multi-camera recordings and deep-learning-based behavioral analysis to identify reproducible behavioral states and understand how they vary across individuals, sexes and environmental contexts.

Pharmacological manipulations will be used to experimentally validate specific behavioral states and investigate how they are modulated by neural systems involved in anxiety and behavioral adaptation. You will subsequently combine wireless miniature calcium imaging with automated behavioral monitoring to uncover the neural dynamics associated with these behaviors.

Methods: miniature calcium imaging, deep-learning-based behavioral tracking, RFID tracking, computational analysis of neural population activity, stereotaxic surgery, pharmacological manipulations and histology.

The University of Groningen (ranked among the Top 100 universities worldwide) is internationally recognized as a dynamic and innovative research university, home to over 33 000 students and 4200 academic staff (44% international). The Faculty of Science and Engineering unites researchers across biology, neuroscience, engineering and data science. The project will be embedded within the Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), an internationally recognized center that comprises several strong, internationally recognized research groups in the field of behavioral neuroscience and evolutionary biology. The University of Groningen provides exceptional infrastructure, including access to the Hábrók high-performance computing cluster for large-scale data analysis, large outdoor rodent enclosures, and a vibrant intellectual environment with regular seminars, data clubs and workshops fostering cross-disciplinary exchange.

The candidate will work under the shared supervision of Assistant Professor Dr. Suzanne van der Veldt, Assistant Professor Dr. Sanne Moorman and Associate Professor Dr. Jocelien Olivier.