NCBS Hiring Postdoctoral fellow & PhD student

Research interests of our faculty members lie in the frontier areas of biology, and the science at NCBS (a part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research ) uses experimental and computational approaches in the study of molecules, cells and organisms. We aim to understand biology at each of these levels to advance an integrated view of life processes. The talent and drive of our students and faculty members continues to show us the way to good science.

Hiring Postdoctoral fellow & PhD student

Research Topic
How does the adult brain adapt during physiological perturbance to maintain function?
The brain is remarkably resilient, but the details of how adaptive adjustments play out in the adult brain remain poorly understood. Our studies reveal that the homeostatic form and function of mature neural cells are maintained through active suppression of alternative structural and functional possibilities. We hypothesize that these alternative latent potentials are maintained in a suppressive state, to be deployed as per physiological demands. By investigating form and function changes, we aim to gain mechanistic insights into the adaptive mechanisms in neurons and glial cells that underlie brain resilience.

What you will do
• Work with our mouse models of cognitive resilience for mechanistic insights
• Define structural and functional adaptability: how mature neurons remodel their architecture during challenge and recovery? how activity in defined neuronal populations reorganise for resilience
• Perform state-of-the-art techniques ranging from live neural recording, chemogenetic/optogentics, and behaviour studies, to cell/molecular and single cell & spatial transcriptomics

Toolkits established over years in the lab (We treat no technique as off-limits) Newest: Mini2P two-photon recording of neural activity in freely behaving mice, Whole-brain functional imaging by SPECT, Alongside: robotic stereotaxic surgery · chemogenetics · optogenetics · electrophysiology mouse genetics · behaviour · morphometry and high resolution microscopy · flow cytometry · molecular biology and cell culture.

Postdoc position Eligibility
• PhD in Neuroscience /Biological science
• Strong analytical & experimental skills with a knack for trouble-shooting
*Experience with rodents, molecular biology electrophysiology and data mining will be preferred

PhD student Eligibility
• Master’s in Biological or Physical sciences, OR Bachelor’s in Engineering
• Analytical mind, Ability to multi-task
• Discovery mindset & drive to learn

Email a recent CV and a short write-up on your specific interest in this project. Request 3 referees to directly email their letter for you to Prof. Ghosh. PhD candidates and students with their own fellowship (UGC/CSIR and similar) should also apply through the NCBS PhD programme. Follow up if you do not hear back within one week.

HOW TO APPLY - Write to hiyaa@ncbs.res.in