A 3-year postdoctoral position is available in the “Serotonin in plasticity and disease” team in the Institut du Fer à Moulin (IFM).
The IFM is a Neuroscience research institute located in the center of Paris, hosting 7 teams which areas of expertise go from genetics, pharmacology and biochemistry to complex animal behavior, and common facilities allowing to perform confocal imaging, cell sorting, behavioral experiments on mice… Our team is affiliated to the Ecole des Neurosciences de Paris and is member of the BioPsy Labex, which gathers basic and clinical research laboratories with a shared interest for psychiatric disease.
In the lab, we are interested in the functions of microglia, the brain resident macrophages, and in their regulation by serotonin. It is now established that microglia interact with neurons and regulate synapse formation and stability during brain development and at adulthood. We previously showed that motility of microglial processes is modulated by serotonin, and we would like to determine whether this regulation is relevant to the role of microglia in synaptic plasticity. To explore this hypothesis, we would like to delineate the intracellular signaling pathway by which serotonin regulates microglial motility, and test how this impacts on synaptic plasticity. The current methods used in the team include gene expression, imaging, primary cells culture, pharmacology, and behavioral experiments, and we would like to reinforce live imaging and cell biology.
Therefore, we are looking for a highly motivated post-doctoral researcher with enough expertise to conduct a project based primarily on live imaging and cell signaling. The project may also include some behavioral experiments on mice. Although a degree of independence is necessary, this research will be conducted in interaction with other members of the team for a multidisciplinary approach.
Candidate should send their CV including date of the PhD, publication list, a description of skills and experience, a letter of motivation, and cite two referent people who could be contacted. The position is for three years (1 year + 2 renewals), starting in spring 2018. Applications will be considered until the position is filled.
Contact:
Anne Roumier /Luc Maroteaux; luc.maroteaux@inserm.fr and anne.roumier@inserm.fr
