Post doctoral researcher in Neuroscience of pain - Electrophysiology (M/F)

Job Description

Missions

Job Opportunity: Postdoctoral Researcher in Pain Neuroscience
Fixed-term contract (12 months, renewable) – Institute for Functional Genomics (IGF), Montpellier, France.
As part of the NEURON ERA-NET Network of European Funding for Neuroscience Research (2025 call: “Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Neuroscience of Pain”), we are seeking a postdoctoral researcher to join the H-passion project (2026–2029).
Project Overview:
The successful candidate will work on a 12-month fixed-term contract (CDD CNRS) at the Institute for Functional Genomics (IGF, Montpellier, France). The role involves contributing to integrated electrophysiological and molecular analyses of isolated human Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) neurons obtained from organ donors at the Montpellier hospital.
Key Objectives:
Identify pain-relevant subtypes of human sensory neurons by correlating electrophysiological profiles in patch clamp with full-length transcriptomic data, using Patch-Seq and long-read sequencing.
Develop methods to isolate pain-relevant neuronal subtypes by producing and utilizing labeled binders targeting specific surface receptors, combined with assessments of neuronal sensitivity to thermal, mechanical, and chemical stimuli. These methods will facilitate the functional study of distinct subtypes and enable downstream omics experiments.
Collaborative Framework:
This project is a multidisciplinary collaboration between
Dr. Bourinet's team at IGF (Montpellier, France),
Dr. J. Körner in the group of Pr A.Lampert, and Dr. N.Haag, RWTH Aachen University (Germany),
Dr. J. Serra's team at University College London (UK).

Activity

Participate in tissues collection with the neurosurgeon team on organ donors
Prepare neuronal cell culture
Perform patch clamp recordings in human DRG neurons
Contribute to patch-seq experiments
Produce recombinant proteins in eukaryotic cells and functionalize them
Use these functionalized binders of DRG cell surface markers to select hDRG subtypes
Analyze/interpret electrophysiology data
Analyze/interpret transcriptomic data

Your Profil

Skills

Advanced skills in electrophysiology and cell culture are required
Good skills in biochemistry (recombinant protein production) and in molecular biology
Knowledge in neurosciences in general, and in the field of pain pathophysiology
Knowledge of health and safety rules in the lab is required

Your Work Environment

The postdoctoral fellow will manipulate human tissues within the operating room at the hospital, within the lab cell culture room, and in the context of electrophysiological recordings.
Mobility to spend some time in the lab of the consortium if needed

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

From 3071€ gross per month, depending on experience.

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

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