PhD Position: neural mechanisms underlying social behavior in zebrafish

[Kuo-Hua Huang]

PhD Position: neural mechanisms underlying social behavior in zebrafish

 

Project description:

The lab of Dr. Kuo-Hua Huang (https://kuohua7.wixsite.com/huanglab) at the Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, is recruiting a PhD student to study neural circuits and behavior in zebrafish. The goal of this project is to understand how dynamic features of social stimulus influence behaviors in adult zebrafish. The methods to drive this project will be, among others, closed-loop virtual environment, virtual animals with realistic and controllable behaviors, in vivo calcium imaging, and circuit mapping in the zebrafish brain.

Environment in Academia Sinica, Taiwan

Academia Sinica (AS) has a single campus that hosts 32 research institutes including Molecular Biology, Information Science, Statistical Science, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Currently there are more than 30 labs across the Academia working on neuroscience related areas, ranging from molecular, cellular to system neuroscience. The diverse environment fosters opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaborations. PhD students will receive a stipend from TIGP in the first 2 years and from the PI for the remaining years, which is sufficient to cover apartment rental, tuition, health insurance and other living expenses. Currently, there are more than 200 international PhD students in AS. The Huang lab is hosting 2 international members and our weekly lab meeting is conducted in English. Taipei is also a vibrant city and there are a lot of activities to explore.

Requirements

·       Have studied neuroscience, molecular biology, computational biology or a related field.

·       Familiar with or eager to learn the techniques required for this project, including elements of virtual reality, microscopy, zebrafish handling, programming and data analysis in Matlab and/or Python.

·       Enjoy solving problems, even difficult ones.

·       Candidates should also meet the entry requirements for admission to the PhD program (TIGP) at Academia Sinica.

Application guideline

Please send a CV, transcript of records, a letter of motivation to Kuo-Hua Huang (khh...@gate.sinica.edu.tw). The letter should cover the following aspects: What talents or previous experience of yours are possibly relevant to this project? What would you like to learn and achieve during your PhD? If you have coding or experimental experience, describe your most challenging previous program or project.

Candidates should also meet the entry requirements for admission to the PhD program (TIGP) at Academia Sinica. Please apply to one of the following TIGP programs by January 31, 2023. Feel free to contact me for advice on which program to apply.

·       Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB): https://tigp.sinica.edu.tw/pages/2791

·       Interdisciplinary Neuroscience (INS): https://tigp.sinica.edu.tw/pages/2797

Starting date:

The PhD position is available starting September 2023.

If you would like to explore the lifestyle in my lab and Taiwan, you can also work in my lab as a research assistant any time before the PhD admission (salary USD1200-1400 per month).