PhD STUDENT Position in the field of Mammalian Neurodevelopment

The mammalian cerebral cortex plays key roles in cognition, sensory and motor functions, and the control of our emotions. The proper execution of these tasks depends on a long process of embryonic and postnatal development which relies on the production by neural stem cells of the appropriate number of neurons with proper identities that migrate to their specific location and make connections with each other. Defective signaling pathways during development are the cause for many human brain disorders. The goal of our studies is to better define the mechanisms involved in neural cell proliferation, migration and differentiation in order to gain a better understanding in brain formation and develop effective strategies to treat a wide range of devastating brain diseases.

 

We are using an interdisciplinary approach including, but not restricted to: protein interaction studies, alteration of signaling pathways in vivo, cell culture (cell lines and primary cultures), luciferase assay, histology, organotypic tissue culture assay, RT-qPCR, profiling of translating mRNAs.

 

The candidate should have a Master’s degree in a relevant field. Knowledge in molecular and cellular biology is required. Experience in the field of neurodevelopment is an asset but is not mandatory. The candidate must be able to communicate effectively either in English or in French.

 

The starting date is January 1st 2026. Salary is determined according to standard Belgian regulations. The provision of funding is contingent upon the applicant’s ability to secure a 4-years FRIA fellowship from the Belgian FNRS organization. This is organized as a 10-min. presentation and a 10-min. defense of the project in front of a jury, occurring in October-November.

Public funding alone (i.e. government, region, European, international organization research grant)

Salary is determined according to standard Belgian regulations. An initial 15-months funding is available to support the candidate who will apply for a 4-years fellowship from the FNRS-FRIA at the start of the thesis and one year later if unsuccessful.

The Laboratory of Mammalian Development and Cell Biology (https://www.uclouvain.be/en/research-institutes/ions/neural-development-lab-of-mammalian-development-and-cell-biology), headed by Dr Yves Jossin, is offering a PhD position. The research team is located at the Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS) of the University of Louvain Medical School (UCLouvain, Belgium) situated on the Brussels campus. The University of Louvain is more than 500 years old and has a strong research tradition and a strong international reputation both in terms of basic and applied research as well as teaching.

Doctorat en Sciences Biomédicales

Belgium

UCLouvain

The candidate should have a Master’s degree in a relevant field. Knowledge in molecular and cellular biology is required. Experience in the field of neurodevelopment is an asset but is not mandatory. The candidate must be able to communicate effectively either in English or in French.