PhD student

Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich

60 %

At the Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, we are looking for a PhD student for animal studies of addiction and trauma memories as part of a Clinical Research Priority Program (CRPP) “Synapse, Trauma & Addiction” (STA) https: // www. synapsetraumaaddiction.uzh.ch. Mission of this CRPP is to investigate the molecular basis of trauma and drug memories, identify possible treatments for trauma and substance use disorders to advance clinical interventions. You will be based both at the Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland (Prof. Boris Quednow and Prof. Birgit Kleim) and the Donders Institute of the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, Netherlands (Prof. Judith Homberg).

The PhD work will cover experimental trauma and addiction memories in rodent models including the neuropharmacological modulation of these memories. Basic science findings on synaptic plasticity shall be translated for clinical application and the work will be aligned to a clinical study in trauma and substance use disorder patients.

We are looking for highly motivated, communicative individuals, who wish to pursue a career in clinical or preclinical neuroscience and neuropsychopharmacology, biological psychology, or experimental psychiatry The positions require a strong interest in these fields, motivation to acquire experimental and clinical skills, ability to work in a team as well as independently, and excellent communication qualities to interact between animal and human researchers, specifically within our groups and the CRPP. The candidate will have experience in, or be motivated to learn, behavioral, neuropharmacological paradigms and in vivo and ex vivo brain analyses in rodents. Previous experience in animal experiments, data analysis, and scientific writing would be appreciated. Applicants should have an MSc in biology, neuroscience, psychology, or medicine. Fluent English is mandatory, Dutch and/or German is an advantage.

We offer a highly interdisciplinary setting with unique state-of-the-art methodologies in well- equipped research labs. There will be ample opportunities to collaborate between the different labs, including the possibility to also work at the human work package of this translational projects. Students attend joint lab meetings, seminars, and journal club discussions between the labs (based at the University of Zurich and the Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen). The position is initially for three years, and the salary is based on the guidelines of the Swiss National Science Foundation. Both Universities have dedicated graduate schools in which PhDs are trained in modern research and analysis techniques, as well as communication and teaching skills.

Lenggstrasse 31, Zürich, Switzerland

Employment start date to be mutually agreed, earliest May 2023. Application deadline: Till de position is filled. Enclosures: cover letter; statement of research interest; CV with publication list; BA/MSc certificates with course grades; reference letters or contacts of two referees.