We know that people differ in the way they perceive their surroundings and respond to it. However, the origin of these individual differences in perception are not well understood. We are looking for a motivated PhD candidate that is eager to study how the neuronal modulator serotonin and environmental stimuli interact to influence the development of sensory systems.

The project aims to examine uni- and multi-sensory processing in rats using an impactful combination of in-vivo fiber photometry and behavioural testing. The initial focus of the study will be the primary cortical representation of the somatosensory system (barrel cortex), receiving its input mainly from the large snout vibrissae (whiskers). By stimulating the whiskers the candidate will assess sensory information processing within cortical glutamatergic and GABAergic neuronal networks in vivo, at pre-adolesence and in adulthood. In addition, you will also study the function of these networks in the barrel cortex on single neuron level ex vivo. This project is funded by the Dutch Research Council.

As a PhD candidate you will be required to set-up and execute the above-mentioned in-vivo and ex-vivo animal studies. You will be responsible for the optimization of experimental protocols as well as the processing, analysis, and interpretation of complex functional and structural (cellular imaging) data sets. You will closely interact and collaborate with the teams of the supervisors, which have theoretical and hands-on expertise in the serotonergic system, barrel cortex, in vivo fiber photometry, ex vivo electrophysiology, neuroanatomy, and behavioral testing. Nonetheless, some aspects of the experiments, such as the procedures for in vivo whisker stimulation during behavioral testing, will be new and require pioneering efforts from you.

You will furthermore be trained in soft skills like scientific presentation, participation in various (inter)national conferences, and will contribute to outreach activities. As an obligatory part of the PhD trajectory at the Radboudumc and the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, you are required to write publications and, by the end of the project, a PhD thesis.

• Master in (cognitive) neuroscience, (medical) biology, or related field.
• Experience with neural recordings (in vivo or ex vivo) and analysis of complex datasets.
• Experience with animal work, or a strong desire to learn.
• Very good/excellent command of oral and written English.
• Technical insight, curiosity for scientific questions and problem-solving skills.
• Very good social, communicational, and organizational skills.
• Dutch (art 9) or European (FELASA) certificate to work with animals is a plus.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

At Radboud university medical center, you build on your future. We are committed to providing the best care, education, and research. And we are true to our word, because we help you develop and seize opportunities and give you the room to grow. As an employer, we believe that employees should feel vital and happy at work in all stages of life. We are also committed to creating a healthy and safe working environment. Our employment conditions contribute to that. What we offer:

• Upon commencement of employment, you will start at scale 10A, step 0 (€ 3.017 based on a full-time appointment). Over a maximum period of 4 years, you will progress to scale 10A, step 3 (€3.824 based on a full-time appointment). You will also receive an 8% holiday allowance, an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a 47% to 72% bonus for working unsocial hours.
• 172 vacation hours per year based on a 36-hour working week. (As of 1 January 2025, you will receive 176 vacation hours).

Radboudumc

The project is embedded within the Department of Cognitive Neuroscience (CNS) at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, which is a highly dynamic Dutch institute with a collaborative atmosphere, focusing on fundamental and applied neuroscience research at top level. The successful candidate will join the Behavioural Neurogenetics group led by Prof. Dr. J. Homberg and will be co-supervised by Dr. Dirk Schubert (research group for Cellular Neurophysiology) and Dr. Kübra Gülmez Karaca.

Radboudumc
Welcome to Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc), where scientific breakthroughs are born through the curiosity and passion of our collaborating researchers in a vibrant environment. We believe trust and excitement are crucial elements to achieving our goals, and we approach our research as teams and with the utmost rigor to make a significant impact on health and healthcare. Our researchers are driven by their fascination with the biological, psychological, and sociological mechanisms underlying health and healthcare. They collaborate with partners from all over the world to improve health outcomes for all. Radboudumc unites patient care, research, education, and corporate learning, which allows us to approach our mission to shape the health and healthcare of the future in an innovative and person-centered way.

Our ambition is to lead the way in the pursuit of prevention, sustainability, meaningful care. We believe that through our research, we can significantly improve the health and well-being of society. Join us on our mission to make a difference in healthcare. Become a part of our community of gifted researchers, professionals or patient partners who are dedicated to making a real impact on population health and healthcare.

Read what it is like to do a PhD at the Radboud University Medical Center.