Postdoctoral fellow: electrophysiology and animal behavior in central auditory system

We are seeking to recruit a talented and motivated post-doctoral fellow with experience in electrophysiology and behavior that is interested in auditory neurophysiology and cortical neural circuits. Additional experience in computational neuroscience or molecular biology would be a plus.
The project aims at studying physiological and neural processes involved in environmental noise exposure. The cumulative effects of daily exposure at loud but non-traumatic sound pressure levels (80dB SPL), typically including occupational and increasing urban and leisure noise, are considered stressful albeit harmless for the auditory system. However, effects of long-term exposure on neural circuits, excitation/inhibition balance and cognitive functions remain unclear and likely underestimated. The work will mainly focus on the thalamocortical system and the inferior colliculus and will involve in vivo and possibly in vitro electrophysiological approaches as well as behavioral tests. The overall goal will be to go from the identification of plastic processes in the auditory system to their relevance during individual and social group behavior. Wild-type mice as well as new genetically-modified mouse models with imbalanced cortical excitation/inhibition will be studied. These latter models are promising open doors towards a better understanding of how the wiring and functions of the central auditory pathways are regulated. Possible extensions of the project may include complimentary molecular studies in such models.
The position will be financed by a French National Research Agency grant from Boris Gourévitch. For this position, we are seeking highly motivated individuals with experience in neurophysiology. Candidates with a PhD in Neuroscience or related discipline and demonstrated expertise with electrophysiology in vitro and/or in vivo are highly encouraged to apply.
The project will be conducted in the stimulating, highly multidisciplinary and international research environment of Institut Pasteur (Paris, France) in 2018, and then in the brand new Hearing Institute of Paris where we will move in 2019. The Hearing Institute, an auditory neuroscience research institute, may provide exciting career opportunities for young talented researchers when opening.
Interested candidates should submit a statement of research experience and career goals, a current CV and 1 or 2 reference letters to Boris Gourévitch who can also be contacted for additional information if required.
Starting between January and June 2018
Salary: 30000k€/y (35000US$) minimum according to experience
Team: Lab “Genetics & Physiology of Hearing” (Head Christine Petit), UMR 1120 Inserm, Univ. Paris 6, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
Contact: Boris Gourévitch (boris@pi314.net, phone +33 6 19 57 66 97)