Research Associate in the Evolution and Neurobiology of Sleep

Overview

As a Research Associate in Imperial College London, you will lead sleep evolution research in tunicates, contributing to an HFSP-funded international collaboration. You will integrate neuroscience, imaging, and computational analysis to uncover how sleep is controlled in simple chordate systems and work with cross-institution partners. This role combines hands-on experimentation, data analysis, and dissemination of findings through publications and conferences. You will help grow a new research group and collaborate with international teams to push the boundaries of sleep biology.

Pay / Benefits

• HFSP-funded project
• career development support at Imperial
• development days
• competitive salary and pension
• 43 days off per year
• diverse and inclusive culture

Responsibilities

• Lead research investigating sleep-like states in Ciona intestinalis and Oikopleura dioica
• Apply advanced behavioural analysis and machine-learning approaches to quantify animal behaviour
• Use neural imaging, molecular and physiological approaches to understand sleep control in a simple chordate nervous system
• Analyse large behavioural and imaging datasets
• Investigate molecular mechanisms underlying sleep in Ciona and Oikopleura
• Generate transgenic Cionas and help rear Ciona and Oikopleura
• Publish findings in leading international journals
• Present work at international conferences
• Work closely with collaborators in Australia and the United States
• Help supervise students and contribute to the growth of a new research group at Imperial

Key requirements

• A PhD in neuroscience, neurobiology or a related discipline
• Strong publication potential or publication record
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills
• Strong experience in microscopy including calcium imaging
• Strong experience in working with model organisms
• Experience with behavioural analysis
• An enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research and collaboration
• Strong communication and organisational skills

• interdisciplinary collaboration
• strong communication
• organizational skills
• microscopy including calcium imaging
• behavioural analysis
• machine learning

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