Missions

The aim of this project is to study how information about sound frequency or intensity are propagated along the auditory pathway. To understand how sound features are encoded in the brain we would need to vary specific parameters of the input and measure how it affects neuronal firing. Recent progress in optogenetics have allowed to activate neuronal circuits precisely. Here we will use these tools to control the cochlear output and activate optogenetically cochlear hair cells in vivo. Optical methods allow to focalize the beam of a laser onto several cellular targets and rapidly update the temporal pattern of stimulation. The postdoc will develop a setup based on holographic light patterning to be able to stimulate simultaneously (but independently) single hair cells with millisecond precision. Concurrently, we will perform recordings from large populations of neurons at different stages of the auditory pathway using multi-electrode arrays. The results of this project will enable us to elucidate how the frequency and intensity of sounds are perceived by our brains with unprecedented precision.

Activités

- Optical developments (2-photon microscopy)
- Electrophysiological recordings in rodents and signal analysis
- Interventions in rodents such as: stereotactic brain surgery, injections, sampling, labeling, behavioral tests, etc.
- Formatting of results and statistical analyses
- Follow-up of literature and improvement/adaptation of techniques and analyses according to research projects
- Participation in team and institute activities, supervision of students, writing of scientific articles.

Compétences

• Education:
- PhD in neuroscience, biophysics, engineering or related field
• Desired experience in at least 2 of the fields below:
- Two-photon microscopy and LabVIEW development
- Animal experimentation (in vivo electrophysiology, brain surgery, stereotaxis, behavior)
- Data analysis (Matlab or Python): signal processing, electrophysiology, statistical analysis
- Histology, immunohistochemistry, image analysis
• Personal qualities:
- Motivation and curiosity
- Ability to work in a team and communicate in an international environment
- Rigor, organizational skills and autonomy
- Good level of English (oral, written).

Contexte de travail

The project “Shedding light on the auditory circuit: from the cochlea to the brain” (funded by Impulscience of the Bettecourt-Schueller Foundation) combines functional, anatomical and computational approaches to describe the transformation of sound information by the peripheral and central auditory systems. This project will take place at the Institut de l'Audition, in Dr Jérémie Barral's team. The Institut de l'Audition, a research center of the Institut Pasteur (Paris), aims to understand hearing from a fundamental and clinical point of view. It combines diverse approaches ranging from genetics and cell biology to biophysics and from human cognition and psychoacoustics to computational neuroscience to create a truly interdisciplinary research environment. More broadly, this position is part of the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) reConnect, a new federative structure whose aim is to bring together all the players involved in hearing health to provide the best possible response to the medical, societal and educational needs raised by hearing disorders.

Contraintes et risques

Standard risks associated with biological research and the use of chemical and biological products.