Postdoctoral position in Neuroscience/Behavioral Neuroendocrinology

Postdoctoral position in Neuroscience/Behavioral Neuroendocrinology

The Department of Medical Cell Biology at Uppsala University is a strong and international research environment. The department has more than 110 employees, of which about 25 are doctoral students, 10 postdoctoral fellows, and 40 researchers, teachers and professors.

The research group in behavioural neuroendocrinology, which is headed by Professor Svante Winberg, uses zebrafish as a model for studies on behavior, and neuroendocrine stress responses. We will now recruit a postdoc for a new project on the development of environmental enrichment and optimization of zebrafish rearing. The project is funded by the Swedish research council FORMAS and is a collaboration between researchers at Swedish University of Agricultural Research (SLU, Uppsala), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm and Gothenburg University. In addition, Tecniplast and SCANBUR, the largest suppliers of equipment for zebrafish facilities, participates as industrial partners.

Duties

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is rapidly becoming one of the most popular model organisms in biomedical research. In Sweden, zebrafish is next to mice the most frequently used species in animal experiments. From first being established as a model organism for studies on embryonic development, the use of zebrafish in other fields of biomedical research is now rapidly increasing. As a result, the use of adult fish is increasing, which puts higher demands on fish rearing and welfare.

Today laboratory housing of zebrafish is clearly focused on hygiene and high throughput. Fish are reared in barren, transparent tanks, usually at high densities. This is a very poor environment for the fish, which is likely to have negative effects not only on fish welfare but also on the quality of the results obtained, since a barren and stressful environment will affect development and behavior of the fish. The recommendations and regulations in use today, concerning tank sizes and fish densities, are totally arbitrary and lack scientific background. In most cases zebrafish rearing facilities do not use any environmental enrichment in the tanks, even though this is required according to the Europeanconvention no. 123, and Swedish regulations.

As a postdoctoral fellow you will perform behavioral studies in zebrafish combined with molecular, neurochemical and biochemical analysis. You will also evaluate the results, perform statistical analysis and prepare manuscripts for publication in scientific journals. In addition, you may participate in supervising master and project students in the lab.

Requirements
PhD degree in biology (physiology, ethology, zoology, behavioral ecology, or similar) or a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD degree in one of these subjects. The degree needs to be obtained by the time of the decision of employment. Those who have obtained a PhD degree three years prior to the application deadline are primarily considered for the employment. The starting point of the three-year frame period is the application deadline. Due to special circumstances, the degree may have been obtained earlier. The three-year period can be extended due to circumstances such as sick leave, parental leave, duties in labour unions, etc.

FELASA certificate. Experience of statistical analysis and behavioral studies is required.

Additional qualifications

• Experience of working with fish
• Experience of biochemical analysis
• Experience of molecular techniques

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position of two years according to central collective agreement. Full time position. Starting date as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: Svante Winberg, svante.winberg@neuro.uu.se

Please submit your application by September 15 2024, UFV-PA 2024/2614.

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