PhD doctoral student position in Neuroscience (M/F)

Job Description

Thesis Subject

Spatial navigation depends on multisensory integration to generate internal representations of space and direction, including head direction (HD) signals. This PhD project aims to dissect multisensory (e.g., visuo-vestibular), input-related, and voluntary movement-related determinants of HD signals in the mouse model, to elucidate their role in goal-directed navigation. The candidate will study thalamo-cortical and parahippocampal networks containing HD cells, building on the idea that the HD system is not merely a passive responder to visuo-vestibular inputs, but also integrates information from the ideomotor system. They will focus on the presubiculum (PrS), which functions as an internal compass. HD neurons in the PrS receive inputs from the hypothalamus via the anterior thalamic nuclei (ATN), transforming vestibular information into a stable HD code anchored to visual landmarks. Neurons in different PrS layers have distinct targets, and we will be particularly interested in the intrinsic bursting neurons of layer 4, which provide direct feedback to the hypothalamus and can likely be identified by their characteristic firing patterns. We hypothesize that the determinants of HD circuit dynamics strongly depend on behavioral context and that goal-oriented behavior is guided by time-varying HD codes. Findings will help clarify the bidirectional interaction between active navigation and spatial orientation coding, potentially inspiring novel strategies for brain-machine interfaces. Indeed, some studies have found HD signals to be anticipatory, depending on the degree to which movements are active, volitional or predictable. After integrating different sources of information into a coherent estimation of HD, the system is thought to play a central role in guiding goal-directed navigation, further highlighting its close and bidirectional relationship with behavior.

The aims of this PhD project are (i) to provide a comprehensive characterization of how visual, vestibular, and ideomotor information is integrated across different areas of the HD system, ATN, PrS, and Retrosplenial Cortex; (ii), to examine how presubicular layer 4 bursting neurons contribute to this integration, determining whether their activity reflects combined sensory inputs and provides feedback to upstream regions for visual landmark anchoring; and (iii), to determine the role of HD circuit dynamics in guiding navigation by testing the impact of sensory and circuit perturbations on neural coding and behavior.

Your Work Environment

The Saints-Pères Paris Institute of Neurosciences (SPPIN UMR8003) is a joint unit of the CNRS and Paris Cité University that brings together basic neuroscience research teams focused on neurobiology, neurophysiology, and optical sciences. SPPIN provides access to state-of-the-art facilities within the multidisciplinary scientific environment of the Faculty of Fundamental and Biomedical Sciences.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

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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