Research Fellow Ref:10750
School/department: School of Psychology
Hours: Full time considered up to a maximum of 1.0 FTE. Requests for flexible working options will be considered (subject to business need).
Location: Brighton, United Kingdom
Contract: Fixed term
Reference: 10750
Salary: Starting at £35,333 rising to £42,155 per annum, pro rata if part time
Placed on: 23 January 2023
Closing date: 28 February 2023. Applications must be received by midnight of the closing date.
Expected interview date: TBC
Expected start date: 01 May 2023
Job description
A MRC-funded Research Fellow position is available in the Koya laboratory at The School of Psychology at the University of Sussex. The lab investigates the neural mechanisms of cue-evoked appetitive behaviours in motivation and reward circuits.
The aim of this project is to investigate the role of neuronal ensembles in the medial prefrontal cortex in the suppression of cue-evoked food seeking following exposure to environmentally enriched (EE) housing conditions.
Specifically, you will examine how food-seeking is modulated by shifts in the recruitment, excitability, and encoding properties of cue-activated neuronal ensembles.
These investigations will be conducted using a combination of tools, such as in vivo fibre photometry and ex vivo electrophysiology (patch-clamp) techniques (see Brebner et al. 2020, J Neurosci; PMID: 31727794).
The successful applicant will have:
• A strong background in behavioural or systems neuroscience research including experience with programming languages, such as Python or Matlab.
• A desire to work independently and collegially in a collaborative environment.
• PhD/DPhil degree in neuroscience or a related discipline (e.g. experimental psychology).
• Experience in monitoring rodent brain activity in vivo or ex vivo electrophysiology in rodents.
• Experience in conducting behavioural experiments in appetitive learning.
Since this is a short-term position, a Home Office Personal License is required.
The laboratory is part of a vibrant multi-disciplinary ‘Sussex Neuroscience’ research community on campus, consisting of systems, behavioural, molecular, and computational neuroscientists. The University of Sussex campus is located just 10 minutes away from the famous seaside city of Brighton.
Please contact Eisuke Koya (e.koya@sussex.ac.uk) for informal enquiries. Candidates are encouraged to send their CV’s (with the names of at least two references).
The University is committed to equality and valuing diversity, and applications are particularly welcomed from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and Mathematics (STEMM) at Sussex.
The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
You can find out more about our values and our EDI Strategy, Inclusive Sussex, on our webpages.
Download job description and person specification Ref 10750 [PDF 255.33KB]
The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed from the UK.
Visa Sponsorship Queries:
This role has been assigned an eligible SOC code and meets the salary requirements for Skilled Worker Sponsorship if full time. Please consult our Skilled Worker Visa information page for further information about Visa Sponsorship.
Please note that this position may be subject to ATAS clearance if you require visa sponsorship.
How to apply
Download our academic application form [DOC 199.50KB] and Personal Details and Equal Opportunities Form [DOC 119.50KB] and fill in all sections.
Email your completed application, and personal details and equal opportunities form, to psychologyrecruitment@sussex.ac.uk
You should attach your application form and all documents to the email in PDF format (we are unable to accept applications as google.docs or .pages) and use the format job reference number / job title / your name in the subject line.
You can also send your application by post to Human Resources Division, Sussex House, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9RH.
Download our terms and conditions summary for Research faculty [PDF 11.39KB]