PhD student in network neuroscience and iPSC disease modelling in Zürich

The project will use human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived dopaminergic neurons to model Parkinson’s disease (PD) in vitro. More specifically, we will assess how PD mutations impinge on dopaminergic function and look for strategies to rescue diseased dopaminergic neurons. The successful candidate will perform high-density electrode-array recordings to study the development of neural networks derived from healthy and mutant human iPSCs and develop software in MATLAB to analyse and interpret the obtained results. Besides electrophysiological microelectrode-array recordings, several other methods, such as immunohistochemistry, confocal imaging and optogenetics will be used to characterize dopaminergic neuron function and their specific role in developing neuronal networks. The project received funding through the Personalized Medicine Initiative Basel and will be carried out in close collaboration with the Department of Biomedicine at University of Basel. The salary and working conditions are internationally highly competitive (https://www.ethz.ch/en/the-eth-zurich/working-teaching-and-research/welcome-center/employment-contract-and-salary/salary.html).