Author: Julie

Neurophysiology graduate student position at the University of Victoria, BC

Posted on | by Julie

We are inviting applications for a Master’s or PhD student position to study synaptic neurophysiology at the University of Victoria, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The selected candidate will join the team of Dr. Raad Nashmi’s laboratory.

Our lab is interested in understanding how cholinergic neurons affect the excitability and plasticity of neural circuits in the brain. To achieve this our lab employs a variety of techniques including whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of mouse brain slice tissue, optogenetics, UV uncaging of neurotransmitters and the study of mouse behaviours. Ultimately, we are interested in how specific neural circuit activity in the brain control or modulate specific behaviours. The Master’s or PhD candidate will examine how different neurotransmitter systems, including the cholinergic system, modifies the function of substantia nigral neurons in a spatial and temporal manner.

Applicants should have taken courses at the undergraduate or graduate level in physiology and/or neuroscience. Experience with electrophysiology would be an asset but is not necessary.

The University of Victoria is a research intensive university located on Vancouver Island in the city of Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. Greater Victoria region has a population of 397,000 and has all the amenities common to major Canadian cities. Victoria and its surrounding local areas boast breathtaking natural scenery and a mild climate, making it one of the most desirable destinations in Canada.

Please contact Raad Nashmi, raad@uvic.ca, with a resume or CV, a copy of your university transcripts and a brief explanation of your research interests.

Contact information
Raad Nashmi

raad@uvic.ca

Postdoctoral Position in Neurobiology of Pain, McGill University

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A postdoctoral position is available in the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit and the Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain (AECRP) at McGill University under the supervision of Drs. Yoram Shir and Arkady Khoutorsky. We are looking for an independent and motivated researcher to work on multiple projects related to the role of the gut microbiome in different chronic pain conditions. The projects involve both clinical and basic science approaches, with the goal to characterize changes in the gut microbiome in chronic pain in humans, investigate the role of these changes in mediating pain and related co-morbidities, and develop strategies targeting the microbiome to alleviate pain. More details can be found here: https://www.mcgill.ca/painresearch/yoram-shir, http://arkady-khoutorsky.lab.mcgill.ca/ and https://www.mcgill.ca/painresearch/amir-minerbi .

The AECRP at McGill University hosts numerous clinical and basis science researchers covering a wide range of interests and expertise in the field of pain and creating a highly stimulating environment. Montreal is a vibrant, cosmopolitan, and affordable city with one of the strongest neuroscience communities in North America.

Highly motivated and independent individuals with a solid publication record are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to candidates with experience in pain and/or microbiome research. The position would involve work on several basic science and clinical projects as part of a multidisciplinary team. Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills are required.

Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, a CV, and names & contact information of at least two referees to Yoram.Shir.med@ssss.gouv.qc.ca, arkady.khoutorsky@mcgill.ca.

Postdoctoral or Research Associate position available — University of Toronto

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The Martin Lab (www.martinpainlab.com) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto has a postdoctoral position available for an independent, highly motivated, and enthusiastic individual to study the synaptic basis and circuits of complex behaviour. The successful candidate will join a vibrant, highly collaborative, dynamic well-funded laboratory located on the Mississauga Campus of the University of Toronto.

The long-term objectives of our lab are to study and understand the endogenous mechanisms of pain modulation by social and cognitive factors. We are especially interested in the associations formed during the pain experience and use classical conditioning approaches to understand the learning mechanisms of pain sensitivity and pain relief as well as the contribution of fear to pain processing (Martin et al., 2019, Curr Biol). The candidate will use a combination of viral tract tracing, electrophysiology, and optical techniques to identify the cellular and circuit mechanisms that control pain following conditioning to noxious stimuli and analgesic drugs.

Qualified postdoctoral candidates should have experience with mouse models, viral vectors, in vitro (patch-clamp) electrophysiological techniques, in vivo optogenetics or fibre photometry. Experience with molecular biology and/or immunohistochemistry are strong assets. Strong background in R language and using R packages to analyze connectome data. Familiarity with Python/MATLAB for spike and waveform analysis is also advantageous.

To apply, please send a brief statement of research interests, CV, and contact information for 3 references to

lj.martin@utoronto.ca.
Contact information Loren J. Martin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, University of Toronto Mississauga
Tier II Canada Research Chair in Translational Pain Research
Department of Psychology, CCT Building, Room 4065
3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6

Exoskeleton robot helps researchers shed new light on learning and stroke recovery

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UCalgary clinical trial maps how we learn motor skills, and the results could be a game-changer for stroke rehabilitation.

This morning, you probably reached out of bed to turn off your alarm clock, and later brushed your teeth or buttoned a shirt. Those movements are routine; mundane, even. You are long past the point of wondering how you learned to do any of those things and don’t give a second thought to the complexity of what happened in your brain so that your arm could lift your cup of coffee. Continue reading →

First report of the new House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research tabled on June 6

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On June 6, the new House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research tabled its first ever report, as part of its study on “Successes, Challenges and Opportunities for Science in Canada”. The Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN) was one of sixteen organizations that submitted a written submission as part of the consultations. The Committee held meetings over the course of three months, which CAN closely followed, hearing from science and research organizations, post-secondary institutions, companies and government departments.

CAN welcomes all 13 of the recommendations made to government, and is pleased that one of our recommendations (An initial 25% boost to the budgets of the three granting councils followed by a 10% yearly increase) was specifically referenced in the report. Additionally, we are happy to see that the Committee has recognized the tremendous setback to Canada’s research ecosystem caused by the pandemic, and the impact of the rapid mobilization of resources to conduct COVID-19 research, sometimes at the expense of research on other health issues. Continue reading →

Watch University of Calgary’s Lecture of a Lifetime 2022 with Dr. Samuel Weiss

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Sam Weiss - inspired science

Sustaining a career that includes making two major scientific discoveries, winning a Gairdner Award, founding the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and a foray into health policy requires fuel — lots of it — and Dr. Samuel Weiss, PhD’83, knows how to find it.

From being dragged back to school by his mom for the third year of his undergrad in 1977, to being encouraged to bring his knowledge and expertise to Ottawa last year by Canada’s minister of mental health and addictions, Weiss says there was one driving force at play in every stage of his career: Inspiration.

Continue reading →