June 2024
PhD or Postdoc Position on Computational and Systems Neuroscience
Project Title:
Quantitative models of human motor control in healthy and clinical populations
Project Description:
The laboratory recruits highly motivated people to work in a dynamic environment on motor control and systems neuroscience. This research project aims to build models of human sensorimotor coordination based on current theories of motor control, and extend them to explore new hypotheses on how these models can integrate contextual factors linked to adaptation, memory, perception, and decision-making. The project will also investigate how these models can explain abnormal movements in clinical populations. The project will draw on a broad range of motor systems, including locomotion, reaching control, object manipulation and eye movements. We will combine theoretical models, behavioral experiments in healthy and clinical populations and electrophysiological recordings. Applications for a doctoral program (4 years, fully funded) or postdoctoral training (2 years) are encouraged. In both cases, opportunities to attract individual funding will be explored.
Host Institution and Supervision
The successful candidate will be appointed with the Institute of Information and Communication Technologies Electronics and Applied Mathematics (ICTEAM, division of Applied Mathematics, https://uclouvain.be/en/research-institutes/icteam ) and corss-appointed with the Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS, division Systems and Cognition https://uclouvain.be/en/research-institutes/ions ). The research will be supervised by F. Crevecoeur (https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=fr&user=-EEfvcEAAAAJ&view_op=list_works )
Requirements
For applications to a PhD position:
- Master’s degree in engineering (closer fields include but are not limited to: applied mathematics, biomedical, data science, computer science, mechanical, electrical), neuroscience, physics, or equivalent.
For an application to a postdoc position:
- PhD in neuroscience with a component in computational modeling of behavioural and neural data.
For both:
- Ability to work in a laboratory environment with strong technical skills or willingness to learn (use of equipment, preparation of experiments, data collection)
- Oral and written communication skills, proficiency in English is an asset
- Critical thinking, leadership and ability to work sometimes independently, sometimes within a team
- Coding skills in Python and R for data analysis, processing and simulations are an asset, or will be part of the training program
- Curiosity, willingness to learn new topics, and creativity
Applications
Applications should be sent to F. Crevecoeur: frederic.crevecoeur@uclouvain.be as a single PDF document with a letter of motivation, a CV and one (doctoral) or two (postdoctoral) letters of recommendation. The tentative application deadline is July 17 with an anticipated start in fall 2024, please send any requests for additional information to: frederic.crevecoeur@uclouvain.be.
April 2024
Three PhD positions for a collaborative project in human somatosensory neuroscience
Project title
Integration of somatosensory submodalities for grip and touch
Project description
This multidisciplinary human neuroscience project will explore how tactile mechanosensory, thermosensory and proprioceptive inputs integrate during tactile exploration and haptic manipulation. Specific aims will be (1) to characterize and model the biomechanical and thermal interactions between manipulated objects and the skin, (2) to evaluate the sensory encoding properties of tactile mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors and proprioceptors and (3) to probe the cortical processes involved in thermosensory, mechanosensory and proprioceptive integration using a combination of psychophysical experiments, microneurography studies and electroencephalography (EEG) experiments in healthy human volunteers. The project will have implications for the design of haptic interfaces, virtual reality setups and hand prostheses integrating haptic feedback.
Host institution
This collaborative project will be hosted at the UCLouvain Institute of Neuroscience (Brussels, Belgium; http://uclouvain.be/ions). It will be coordinated by three principal investigators.
André Mouraux (http://nocions.org) is a neurologist and neuroscientist with expertise in thermonociception and EEG. Philippe Lefèvre (https://perso.uclouvain.be/philippe.lefevre) and Benoît Delhaye (https://delhayeben.github.io/) are engineers and neuroscientists working in the field of motor control and sensorimotor coordination.
Open positions
Three PhD positions (3x48 months) are available to perform this research project. Starting date is flexible, from October 2024.
Requirements:
- Master’s degree in medicine, neuroscience, engineering, biomedical sciences, psychology or equivalent.
- Ability to work in a laboratory environment, interest in human neuroscience research, passion for experimental research.
- Analysis skills and an analytical mind-set
- Oral and written communication skills.
- Proficient in both spoken and written English.
- Ability to work independently and as a member of a research team.
- Ability to engage in interdisciplinary research and technological areas.
- Computer programming and or statistical skills are an asset.
Application
Applications should be sent by email to andre.mouraux@uclouvain.be as a single PDF document including: (1) a motivation letter, (2) a CV detailing their academic and professional background and their research experiences, and (3) at least one letter of recommendation from the master thesis promoter, internship supervisor or other.
Please contact andre.mouraux@uclouvain.be for additional information.
December 2023
PhD position in Cell physiology / Neuroscience
University of Louvain - Brussels - Belgium
Project Title
Modulation of mechanosensitive ion channels by lipidic environment. Role in cancer biology.
Overview
Cellular mechanosensitivity plays a key role in the life of the cell, regulating its migration, its proliferation and its death during physiological phenomena such as development. Alteration of cellular mechanosensitivity is implicated in the development of a number of pathologies, including cancer, notably in glioblastoma on which this project is focused. The general goal of this proposal is to better understand how lipid environment of cell membranes affect mechanosensitive ion channels. To achieve this goal, we will combine expertises in cell morphology and mechanics, lipid membrane biophysics and ion channels activity measurements to understand how the composition of the lipid bilayer, its asymmetry and its lateral domains affect mechanosensitive channel gating and clustering.
Principal investigator and host laboratory:
Philippe Gailly, Laboratory of cell physiology - Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), University of Louvain (Brussels campus), Belgium.
Requirements
The candidate should hold a master's degree in Physiology, Biology, Biophysics, Medicine, Chemistry, Biomedical and Health Sciences or related fields. In addition, the candidate should have a keen interest in ion channel biophysics.
The candidate should be fluent in English and/or French.
The application should include a complete CV, a motivation letter explaining why the applicant is best suited for this project, and 2 letters of recommendation.
The project will start in mid-2024 and run for 4 years. The successful candidate will receive funding for 2 years (renewable) and will apply to competitive PhD fellowships (FRS-FNRS, FRIA).
For more details about the position, please contact Philippe Gailly: philippe.gailly@uclouvain.be