School of Biological and Chemical Sciences - Postdoctoral Research Assistant
Ref:
QMUL10825
The Department of Biological and
Experimental Psychology at Queen Mary University of London is seeking to
recruit a (Postdoctoral) Research Assistant to support a new Leverhulme Trust (https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/)
funded project to investigate the genetics of
numeracy and the evolutionary basis of number.
We
are inviting applications for an opportunity to work on a project at the
interface between cognitive neuroscience and human genetic using zebrafish as
model organism.
It
has long been recognized that non-human animals can discriminate collections of
objects on the basis their numerousness. This ability is thought to be based on
the existence of an evolutionarily conserved system for approximating numerical
magnitude. However, there is currently no evidence that the same neural
mechanisms underlie representation of numerousness among vertebrates nor that the
same genes are involved. Here we use behavioural and genetic analysis of
wildtype and mutant zebrafish, coupled with analysis of human genome data, to
test the hypotheses that the ability to represent numerousness is genetically
controlled and has an evolutionarily conserved neural basis.
As
shoaling animals, zebrafish use numerosity to guide behaviour and decisions.
Using automated operant conditioning we train zebrafish to perform numerical
tasks and identify genetic variants influencing performance. Our general
hypothesis predicts that genes found to influence human performance of exact
numerical tasks will influence zebrafish performance of approximate tasks and vice
versa.
The
ideal candidate will have previous experience methodologies in molecular
genetics and behavioural tasks and a strong interest in neurodevelopmental
traits. Analytical and computational
skills are desirable.
The project is a collaboration between
human geneticists (Silvia Paracchini, Brian Butterworth) and fish behavioural
scientists (Caroline Brennan, Giorgio Vallortigara). The successful applicant will work closely with, and under the supervision, of Dr
Caroline Brennan (PI). He/she will be working in close association with other scientists
involved in the project both in the UK and Italy
We are looking for highly motivated and
experienced post-doctoral candidates from the EU or UK with demonstrable experience
in behavioural or molecular genetics.
The position
is full time and for a fixed 3 year period available from April 2017. The starting
salary is £36,064 per annum. Benefits include 30 days annual leave, defined
benefit pension scheme and interest-free season ticket loan.
For
further information about the School and Department, please see http://www.sbcs.qmul.ac.uk
For
informal enquiries, please contact: Caroline Brennan, via c.h.brennan@qmul.ac.uk
To
apply, please visit the Human Resources website on http://www.jobs.qmul.ac.uk
and search for reference QMUL10825
Enquiries
about the application process should be directed to recruitment@qmul.ac.uk
The closing date for applications is 6th March 2017. Interviews
will be held as soon as possible following the closing date. The successful
candidate must be able to start by 1st June or as soon as possible
thereafter.
Valuing Diversity & Committed to Equality