Missions

How do the brains of social beings give meaning to their societies? Advances in neuroscience and primate ethology are bringing us closer to understanding the functioning of the brain networks involved in social cognition. Within the framework of the European ERC project 'NEURO-SOCIETY', the young postdoctoral researcher (renewable duration) will develop new approaches to examine the brain mechanisms during social perception in different sensory modalities, including the little studied senses of smell and touch. He or she will use a combination of neuroimaging (MRI) in primates, ethological testing and social network analysis to study how olfaction and touch are integrated with vision and hearing in understanding others. This approach will be a first step to understand the neural mechanisms underlying the creation of social concepts in primates.

Activités

- Design and execution of new methods aimed at understanding perception and social cognition in non-human primates
- Implementation of behavioral tasks and animal training
- functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging fMRI scanning
- Analyzes of imaging and behavioral data
- Presentation of results in team meetings and conferences
- Bibliographic watch
- Writing scientific articles
- Participation in the writing of projects
- Work in a team and with facilities
- Participation in animal care and surgeries
- Compliance with ethical rules
- Management of regulatory obligations under the protocol

Compétences

- At least one first-author publication, or preprint, in animal neurophysiology or animal neuroimaging preferably in non-human primates
- PhD in neuroscience or a related field (veterinary, physiology, medical imaging)
- Scientific curiosity for primates and knowledge of ethics
- Team work
- Motivation and passion for neuroscience
- Experimental skills in neurophysiology or animal neuroimaging
- Strong analytical skills
- Programming skills (Matlab, Python or similar language)
- Good command of English
- Fluency in French is not required

Contexte de travail

The National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) is the largest scientific research organization in France and Europe (> 25,000 employees) and a major player in global research (12 Nobel Prizes, 10 Fields medals).
The Paris Brain Institute (ICM) is an international research institute dedicated to understanding the nervous system at all scales, from basic science to applied clinical care. It is affiliated with Sorbonne University, the CNRS, INSERM and located on the campus of the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. The Paris Brain Institute houses 22,000 m² of research laboratories and technological facilities and benefits from state-of-the-art infrastructure, including for brain imaging, staffed by expert staff: https://parisbraininstitute-icm.org.
Within the Paris Brain Institute, the Neurophysiology of Social Cognition group led by Julia Sliwa studies the brain mechanisms that allow the transformation of social perceptions into social knowledge, using a combination of ethological tests in primates, neuroimaging (fMRI), neurophysiology and analyzes of large datasets: www.sliwalab.org.

Informations complémentaires

The position is available from May 2023 with an initial appointment of 1.5 years. The start date is flexible and applications will be considered until the position is filled. An extension beyond 1.5 years is possible. The position is fully funded by an ERC (NEURO-SOCIETY, PI: Sliwa) start-up grant. Candidates will be able to apply for a competitive personal scholarship (HFSP, FRM, Marie-Sklodowska Curie, etc.).

Candidates must send their curriculum vitae, a cover letter, representative publications, as well as the names and contact details of two referees who can comment on their academic background and who have agreed to be contacted.