Three PhD positions in Neuroscience

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The research group Cellular and Computational Neuroscience is part of the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) Neuroscience theme and investigates the regulation of neuronal excitability and plasticity at the membrane, cellular and network level using electrophysiological, pharmacological and molecular techniques.

We have three PhD positions in Neuroscience available.

Project 1: The effect of noradrenaline on the perirhinal gate in Alzheimer’s disease

The perirhinal region is a brain region that operates as a functional gate between the neocortex and the hippocampal formation. The ‘opening’ of this gate promotes memory encoding in the hippocampus. We hypothesize that this gate function is defective in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The goal of this project is to compare the functioning of the perirhinal gate between AD and control animals and to investigate the modulation of the circuit by noradrenaline. The experimental approach will use acute brain slices and employ voltage sensitive dye imaging, electrophysiological techniques, optogenetics, histology, pharmacological manipulation and in vivo behavioural experiments.

Project 2: Noradrenaline regulation of alertness through modulation of cortical synaptic function

In the brain, noradrenaline release raises our alertness, an intrinsic component of attention and consciousness. Noradrenaline modulates synaptic communication and neuronal network activity within cortical structures such as the prefrontal cortex and visual cortex. The goal of this project is to determine how the locus coeruleus (LC), via the release of noradrenaline, modulates synapse strength and consequently network activity in these brain regions to regulate alertness. The experimental approach will combine molecular, optogenetics and electrophysiological techniques on brain slices and in vivo to study how LC-activity controls synaptic communication.

Project 3: The link between Aβ-driven synapse and network alterations that cause memory impairment

Amyloid-β (Aβ), the prime suspect to cause Alzheimer’s disease (AD), triggers synapse loss and alters network activity. How the effects of Aβ on network excitability and on synapses are related is unknown. The objective of this project is to investigate how network and synapse changes depend on each other in an AD-mouse model. We hypothesize that these two Aβ-driven events reinforce each other to cause memory deficits. The experimental approach will combine molecular biology, electrophysiology and imaging techniques with behavioural tests to study the cause of AD-related memory impairment

What are you going to do?

You are expected to:

• gain knowledge of the field through literature survey, discussion with team members, and internal lab meetings;
• contribute to the design of experiments and perform experiments;
• analyse and interpret results of experiments;
• draft papers and write a thesis;
• enrol in the training program for PhD students in the graduate school ONWAR (Graduate School Neurosciences Amsterdam Rotterdam);
• teach seminars and/or practical for Bachelor and Master students;
• supervise Bachelor and Master student projects.

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