Research Fellow

Hours: Full time.

Requests for flexible working options will be considered subject to need for experimental lab access

Contract: fixed term until 30 September 2025

Expected interview date: To be confirmed

Expected start date: negotiable from 15 June 2024

A postdoctoral position funded by the BBSRC is available in the laboratory of Miguel Maravall to study the relationships between neuronal activity, sensory inputs and behavioural signals in the somatosensory cortex of mice.

The project investigates neuronal responses in mice performing goal-directed sensory discrimination tasks. Mice must distinguish between sensory stimuli delivered to their whiskers and neural activity in the cerebral cortex is measured using two-photon imaging.

The successful candidate will have a profile with at least one of the following:

• either expertise relevant to neurobiology, with a track record of experimental skills in optical imaging, viral expression or related techniques;
• or expertise in computational techniques with an interest in quantitative neural data analysis and programming experience in Python, Matlab or a similar language.

We are looking for someone who is proactive and will drive the work forward, and is positive, eager to think creatively, and keen to work in our highly collaborative team (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/lifesci/maravalllab/).

Our lab welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. We strive to foster an open, inclusive environment and work actively on an ongoing basis to improve equity and fairness both inside and outside our institution. We are committed to supporting and mentoring our members throughout their time in the lab and beyond.

The University of Sussex campus is located just outside the friendly, lively city of Brighton on the coast of South East England, one hour away from London. It is surrounded by the South Downs National Park. Sussex Neuroscience (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/sussexneuroscience/) offers a vibrant intellectual environment and resources for mentorship and career development. Ongoing interaction with other members of the close-knit Sussex Neuroscience community provides opportunities for learning new approaches and skills, including relevant areas such as open science hardware, in vivo two-photon imaging, and computational techniques.

The position is offered until 30 September 2025, a term set by the duration of current funding. Longer-term funding will be sought and the successful candidate will be mentored and supported to develop their own applications for fellowship funding.

Please attach a CV (2-3 pages) and a statement of research interests (1 page max) to the application and provide contact details for 2 or 3 referees. Potential candidates are strongly encouraged to make informal contact with Prof. Miguel Maravall (m.maravall@sussex.ac.uk; he/him) before applying.

The School of Life Sciences is committed to increasing the diversity of its staff and providing an inclusive working environment. The School currently holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award, has developed a Race Equity Action Plan and hosts an active Equality, Diversity and Inclusion working group. Applications are particularly welcomed from Black and minority ethnic candidates, and women, trans and non-binary candidates, who are under-represented in the School of Life Sciences at Sussex.

For full details and how to apply please click the 'Apply' button, above.

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