School of Psychology & Neuroscience
Salary: £34,304 - £40,927 per annum
Start Date: As soon as possible
Fixed term until 1 March 2023
Applications are
sought for a committed Research Fellow to work with Dr Wen-Chang Li.
It is
widely known that the activity of a neural network is shaped by its connectome.
However, this structure-function relationship is not fixed and may change
dynamically. In frog tadpoles, motor circuits that generate forward swimming
can produce backward-thrusting struggling if the tadpole is held. Whereas
swimming involves a wave of muscle contractions propagating from head to tail,
struggling is a slower but powerful rhythm that propagates from tail to head.
Continuous sensory inputs trigger reconfiguration in tadpole motor circuit by
recruiting additional groups of neurons while depressing the activity of other
groups of neurons (Li et al., 2007; Li 2015, J Neurosci). Such
recruitment/de-recruitment is achieved through changes in the biophysical
properties of the neurons and their synapses. We will define these biophysical
changes and determine how they reconfigure motor circuits. The main techniques
to be used are visually-guided current- and voltage-clamp whole-cell recordings
similar to those used on brain slices, calcium imaging, dynamic clamping and
optogenetics.
Previous
training in electrophysiology is essential and experiences in microscopic
dissections are desirable. This project will involve close collaboration with Dr Joel Tabak-Sznajder in the University of Exeter and Prof
Roman Borisyuk in Plymouth University to help them build computational
models of both swimming and struggling circuitry and analyze the dynamics of
their transition. There is also opportunity to get some undergraduate teaching
experience if desired.
The successful
applicant will have (or be near to completion of) a PhD in Neuroscience or
similar discipline.
The post is available until
1 March 2023 starting as soon as possible.
Further details of the research can be found
at https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/wenchang-li(3df3bd33-5a09-455f-99f3-555a4d137dba).html
Informal
inquiries to Dr Wen-Chang Li e-mail: wl21@st-andrews.ac.uk
Applications
are particularly welcome from women, people from the Black, Asian and Minority
Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are
under-represented in research posts at the University.
Equality,
diversity and inclusion are at the heart of the St Andrews experience. We strive to create a fair and inclusive
culture demonstrated through our commitment to diversity awards (Athena Swan, Carer
Positive, LGBT Charter, Race Charters and Stonewall). We celebrate diversity by
promoting profiles of BAME, LGBTIQ+ staff and supporting networks including the
Staff BAME Network; Staff with Disabilities Network; Staff LGBTIQ+ Network; and
the Staff Parents & Carers Network. Full
details available online: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/edi/
Closing Date: 20
January 2022
Please quote ref:
AR2247NB
Further Particulars: AR2247NB FPs.doc
School of Psychology & Neuroscience
Salary: £34,304 - £40,927 per annum
Start Date: As soon as possible
Fixed term until 1 March 2023