PhD Position - Neuroscience/Pharmaco-metabolism

The Research Chair in Sleep Pharmacometabolism in the Faculty of Pharmacy at Université Laval and the IUCPQ is currently looking for a PhD student to join their team.

Our lab uses complementary neuroscience techniques to try and understand how the brain controls various physiological processes. We are particularly interested in how the brain regulates energy balance (food consumed vs energy expended), and our work aims to understand how the brain contributes to the development and maintenance of obesity. We are also interested in how the encoding of metabolic information influences other physiological processes such as sleep and arousal.

We currently have projects focused on the histaminergic neurons of the tuberomammillary nucleus, the endocannabinoid system, and potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of obesity and diabetes.

Techniques performed in the lab include, electrophysiology (patch-clamp single neuron recordings), stereotactic surgery, use of genetic models, ex vivo and in vivo pharmacology, PCR/qPCR, and various staining techniques.

The Institute's Research Center

The Research Center of the University Institute of Cardiology and Pneumology of Quebec - Laval University is the only center subsidized by the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé (FRQS) which brings together research axes in cardiology, pulmonology and obesity. , type 2 diabetes and metabolism, three areas considered to be priorities due to the considerable economic and societal impact of the diseases linked to them.

The importance of our research

The research axes of our center are at the heart of global priorities in the field of health and represent a major strategic force in slowing the progression of devastating chronic societal diseases. Indeed, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic societal diseases (cardiovascular disease, respiratory ailments, diabetes and cancer) are responsible for 63% of deaths worldwide. Obesity, which has reached the proportions of a global epidemic, is one of the most important risk factors for these diseases.

An integrated research model

The perfect alignment of research axes with the Institute's clinical missions makes it a unique center, where synergy between health professionals and researchers is always present, for the benefit of patients (see figure below). Such synergy promotes the transfer of knowledge from research to care in harmony with the vision of the FRQS and that of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Our research teams take advantage of this synergy in the integrated study of the metabolic determinants of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as in the development of innovative and competitive Quebec research in the prevention and treatment of these diseases. In addition, the research-care alignment undeniably favors the identification of research priorities focused on clinical issues inherent in the Institute's subspecialties.

We are looking for highly motivated and dedicated students with a Bachelor Degree in a relevant discipline (neuroscience, biomedical science, physiology or equivalent). They should have a willingness to work in a team and an ability to work and learn independently. A good knowledge of written and spoken English is a prerequisite, French language skills are desirable but not required.

The student will be enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Faculty of Pharmacy of Laval University in the Fall 2021 session.