www.rezavallab.org/open-positions.html.
The PhD student will engage in a cutting-edge research project aimed at understanding how the brain makes decisions when faced with conflicting options. Using state-of-the-art techniques such neural synaptic tracing, optogenetics, live imaging, and Drosophila behaviour, we aim to dissected decision-making during conflict at a molecular, cellular, and neural circuit level. As part of our dynamic team, the PhD student will be immersed in the vibrant and international academic environment of the School of Biosciences, contributing to the fascinating fly community.
For further information visit www.rezavallab.org
About our research:
Animals engage in daily activities that are essential for survival and reproduction, such as feeding, mating, or fighting for resources. How does an animal prioritise one behaviour over others? We know that cues conveying external information (e.g., threats from other animals, access to food) and internal state (e.g., fear, hunger) guide behavioural choices. However, exactly how action-selection occurs in the brain remains unknown.
Our lab takes advantage of unparalleled genetic and neural tools available in the fruit fly Drosophila to unravel the mechanisms underlying behavioural choices. By studying how the brain makes decisions at a genetic, cellular and circuit level, in an accessible experimental system, we aim to reveal fundamental principles underlying behavioural choices that might be present across species.