Free Scholarship Info

GERMANY; Fully Funded 3 years PhD position at the University of Zurich

Modeling neuron-astrocyte metabolic interactions and their impact on
neural activity

We are looking for a talented and motivated PhD student for a
computational neuroscience project aimed at understanding the
energetic constraints of neuronal activity.

The brain uses glucose as its primary energy substrate. Surprisingly
however, neurons can also use lactate – a glucose derivative – rather
than glucose as their main energy fuel. Lactate is being produced in
astrocytes from blood-borne glucose and is then shuttled to neurons
instantiating a metabolic connection between astrocytes and neurons.
Since this mechanism was originally postulated in 1994, its existence
has been the subject of a much heated controversy. Our recent work
using mathematical analysis suggests that this lactate shuttle does
take place in vivo, is of significant importance and is regulated by
the activity of excitatory neurons as originally postulated. This
leaves open the question as to why brain energetic is organized in
this fashion. This question is being addressed in the group at the
moment using a combination of in vivo experiments and computational
modeling. With this project, we wish to open a new line of research
focusing on the role of this lactate shuttle in the regulation of
neuronal activity, a mechanism recently described in vitro.

The project will consist of developing, simulating and analyzing a
network model containing different neuronal and astrocytic
subpopulations. Energetic constraints and regulatory mechanisms will
be integrated in the network by progressively increasing the
complexity of astrocyte–neuron metabolic interactions.

Combining modeling with experiments is possible if the candidate
wishes to do so.

Requirements
§ Strong theoretical background (mathematics, physics or equivalent).
§ Knowledge of the Python programming language and MATLAB an asset.
§ Basic knowledge of biology and neuroscience.
§ Interested in combining theoretical tools with in vivo experiments
to address key questions in neuroscience.
§ Fluent in English.

Contact
§ Please contact Dr Renaud Jolivet by e-mail at rjolivet [ à ] pharma.uzh.ch.
§ Further information about the group can be found at http://www.pharma.uzh.ch/research/functionalimaging.html
§ University of Zurich website http://www.uzh.ch/index_en.html
§ Neurosciences in Zurich http://www.neuroscience.ethz.ch/
§ Living in Zurich http://www.zuerich.com/en/welcome.cfm

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