Informations générales
Intitulé de l'offre : Postdoctoral position (M/F) in neuroscience and neuroimaging of human aging (H/F)
Référence : UMR5549-FLOREM-007
Nombre de Postes : 1
Lieu de travail : TOULOUSE
Date de publication : lundi 26 janvier 2026
Type de contrat : Chercheur en contrat CDD
Durée du contrat : 8 mois
Date d'embauche prévue : 1 avril 2026
Quotité de travail : Complet
Rémunération : between 3041 € and 4216 € monthly gross salary depending on experience
Niveau d'études souhaité : Doctorat
Expérience souhaitée : 1 à 4 années
Section(s) CN : 28 - Cerveau, cognition, comportement
Missions
Identifying reliable, sensitive, and specific biomarkers for the early detection of individuals at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a crucial public health challenge. Furthermore, these early biomarkers are essential for a better understanding of the initial stages of the disease. At the cellular level, the p-Tau pathology that underlies neurodegeneration occurs well before the first cognitive symptoms, but currently, there is a lack of in vivo imaging markers that reflect this pathology and thus allow for the identification of at-risk individuals.
The postdoctoral project aims to evaluate several biomarkers of the locus coeruleus, a brainstem nucleus, to predict cognitive status and its short-term (18-month) evolution. To this end, we will use data from the Prédicog clinical trial, an ancillary study to the Toulouse-based INSPIRE cohort. The final visits of this study are currently underway, and we will soon have longitudinal data acquired from 100 elderly volunteers without cognitive impairment. Among the biomarkers of interest, our data include an MRI measurement of contrast and connectivity of the locus coeruleus nucleus, as well as a measurement of pupillary dynamics. We also have cognitive scores, a measure of cognitive reserve, and a blood p-tau level.
Activités
- Literature review on locus coeruleus markers in aging
- Development of a methodology for the longitudinal analysis of biomarkers (based on acquired images and signals) and for linking all the study data, in collaboration with the project team
- Writing of an article on the main results
Compétences
- PhD in neuroscience and/or neuroimaging, and ideally at least 2 years of postdoctoral experience
- Experience in image and signal analysis, ideally using Matlab
- Interest in the study of human aging and neurodegenerative diseases
Contexte de travail
The CerCo is a neuroscience research laboratory located within the Purpan University Hospital. The laboratory has over one hundred members working on research topics ranging from sensory perception to memory and consciousness, and using a wide variety of methodological approaches (behavioral, imaging, electrophysiology, modeling, among others).