Canada Research Chair in Cellular Mechanisms of Memory
Topolnik Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
The Topolnik Laboratory is recruiting an outstanding and highly motivated postdoctoral fellow to lead an ambitious project examining how prefrontal–hippocampal circuits regulate memory encoding and retrieval through specialized VIP interneuron populations.
This position is intended for a scientist who wants to develop a distinctive research profile, take intellectual ownership of a major project, and build a competitive foundation for an independent academic career.
The scientific opportunity
The successful candidate will combine:
- single-cell calcium imaging and optogenetic manipulations in freely moving mice;
- intersectional viral and genetic strategies;
- contextual learning and memory paradigms;
- longitudinal tracking of neuronal ensembles;
- quantitative analysis of behavior and population dynamics;
- post hoc molecular and anatomical identification of recorded cells.
The project is supported by strong preliminary data, established experimental platforms, validated surgical and imaging procedures, and newly awarded five-year funding. The laboratory has already established GRIN-lens implantation, single-cell nVoke imaging, optogenetic manipulations, contextual fear-conditioning paradigms, and analysis pipelines for hippocampal VIP interneurons.
The postdoctoral fellow will therefore enter a project with substantial technical groundwork already completed, while retaining considerable freedom to shape its conceptual direction.
Why this position is different
This is not a narrowly defined technical position. The successful candidate will be expected to become the scientific lead of the in vivo component of the program.
They will have the opportunity to:
- lead a well-funded and conceptually focused research project;
- develop a clear first-author publication portfolio;
- work at the interface of cellular neuroscience, systems neuroscience and memory research;
- collaborate closely with experts in electrophysiology, circuit mapping, transcriptomics and quantitative analysis;
- supervise junior trainees and contribute to the scientific direction of the laboratory;
- develop new hypotheses and complementary experiments within the broader research program;
- prepare fellowship, transition-award and independent funding applications;
- build an identifiable scientific niche in hippocampal disinhibition and top-down control of memory.
The project is structured to generate both a focused mechanistic study and a broader integrative paper linking cell identity, circuit connectivity and behavior.
Research environment
The laboratory is led by the Canada Research Chair in Cellular Mechanisms of Memory and has an international research program focused on the cellular and circuit mechanisms underlying hippocampal computation, inhibition, disinhibition and memory.
Our publication record includes work in leading journals such as:
- Nature Reviews Neuroscience;
- Trends in Neurosciences;
- Cell Reports;
- and other recognized neuroscience journals.
The laboratory combines expertise in:
- hippocampal interneuron biology;
- in vivo calcium imaging;
- optogenetics;
- patch-clamp electrophysiology;
- neuronal morphology;
- RNAScope and immunohistochemistry;
- circuit mapping;
- computational and population-level analysis.
The successful candidate will work closely with an experienced full-time research associate who has expertise in stereotaxic surgery, tissue processing, RNAScope, immunohistochemistry, single-cell imaging, optogenetics and data analysis. This support allows the postdoctoral fellow to focus on high-level experimental design, data generation, analysis and publication rather than spending the first year establishing the platform from scratch.
Candidate profile
We are looking for a rigorous, creative and self-driven scientist with a strong record of research productivity.
Essential qualifications
- PhD in neuroscience or a related discipline;
- strong experience in in vivo systems or circuit neuroscience;
- evidence of intellectual ownership of previous research;
- demonstrated ability to complete complex experimental projects;
- strong quantitative and analytical skills;
- excellent scientific writing and communication skills;
- ability to work independently while contributing positively to a collaborative team.
Particularly valuable experience
Preference will be given to candidates with expertise in one or more of the following:
- miniscope or two-photon calcium imaging;
- optogenetic or chemogenetic manipulations;
- rodent learning and memory behavior;
- stereotaxic surgery and viral injections;
- longitudinal neuronal tracking;
- Python, MATLAB or comparable quantitative-analysis environments;
- analysis of neuronal ensembles or population representations;
- hippocampal or prefrontal circuit neuroscience.
What we are looking for beyond technical competence
The strongest candidates will be able to articulate:
- the central scientific question arising from their doctoral work;
- the experiments they personally designed and drove;
- how they dealt with failed or ambiguous experiments;
- what conceptual direction they would bring to the current project;
- how this postdoctoral work would help establish their independent research identity.
Applicants seeking only short-term technical employment, or who are unable to demonstrate clear ownership of previous research, are unlikely to be competitive.
Language and location
The laboratory is international, and its working language is English. Fluency in French is not required for conducting research, participating in laboratory meetings, writing manuscripts or interacting with the research team.
The laboratory is located at the Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada. Quebec City offers a high quality of life, comparatively affordable housing, easy access to nature and proximity to Montreal. Institutional resources are available to assist international candidates with immigration, relocation and integration into Québec.
Candidates who are interested in learning French will have access to language-learning opportunities, but French proficiency is not a condition of appointment.
Salary and appointment
- Salary: $70,000 per year, subject to institutional employment conditions;
- initial appointment: one year;
- anticipated duration: up to three years, following satisfactory annual review;
- funding is secured through a combination of faculty support associated with the Canada Research Chair and project grant funding;
- preferred start date: flexible, with priority given to the strongest candidate.
Exceptional candidates will be encouraged and supported in applying for external fellowships and career-transition awards. Fellowship success may provide additional flexibility for salary support, research independence and extension of the appointment.
Expectations and career development
Over the full appointment, the fellow will be expected to:
- lead the in vivo research program;
- generate rigorous, publication-quality datasets;
- present findings at major international meetings;
- supervise junior trainees;
- prepare first-author manuscripts;
- contribute intellectually to collaborative studies;
- pursue fellowship or transition funding appropriate to their career stage.
The principal investigator will provide active mentorship in experimental strategy, manuscript development, fellowship applications, job-market preparation and the formulation of an independent research program.
Application
Applicants should submit:
- a curriculum vitae, including a complete publication list;
- a concise cover letter describing:
- their most important scientific contribution;
- the part of that work they personally conceived and executed;
- their relevant technical expertise;
- why this project fits their long-term scientific goals;
- contact information for three referees;
- one representative first-author publication or preprint;
- a brief description—approximately half a page—of one question they would be interested in addressing within the general framework of prefrontal–hippocampal control of memory.
Applications will be reviewed based on scientific quality, research ownership, technical fit, analytical maturity and potential for independence.
Contact information:
Lisa.topolnik@bcm.ulaval.ca
Posting end date: 2026-10-02