Dr S Koutsikou
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Applications are invited for a prestigious University of Kent Vice Chancellor’s Research Scholarship, within the Medway School of Pharmacy. This PhD studentship in Neuroscience will be available from October 2018, under the supervision of Drs. Stella Koutsikou (Medway School of Pharmacy) and Wenchang Li (University of St Andrews).
Background to the project:
Like all animals, the hatchling Xenopus laevis tadpoles need to make the ‘right’ motor decisions in order to adapt and survive in their environment. To do this they must detect, integrate and process sensory information within the brain. A common feature of motor decisions, in contrast to simple reflex responses, is that they are relatively slow and variable. Our recent studies using the Xenopus tadpole have shown long and variable built-up of excitability in reticulospinal neurons, which are essential in driving spinal locomotor activity and subsequently swimming. This feature possesses fundamental characteristics of decision-making as seen in higher vertebrate brain regions. Our extensive background knowledge of the tadpole CNS reveals that activity in the sensory pathway neurons is short-lived, and cannot account for the long, variable delays seen in both reticulospinal neuron firing and initiation of swimming. Thus, we hypothesise that a group of undefined neurons exists between the sensory and reticulospinal neurons that are capable of holding and extending the sensory information in the form of a simple working memory until the ‘right decision’ is made. During this project, we will address questions on: (1) the anatomical and electrophysiological features of these currently undefined neurons and (2) the neural circuitry generating the long and variable delays to the swim response, with the overarching aim to unravel the neurobiological underpinning of simple decision-making.
Experimental techniques:
The project is a joint venture between Drs. Stella Koutsikou and Wenchang Li and will involve calcium imaging, in situ whole-cell electrophysiology and neuroanatomical techniques. The prospective student is expected to spend up to 12 months of their studentship in St Andrews and the rest of 3 years in Kent.
All informal project enquiries should be directed to Dr Stella Koutsikou ([Email Address Removed] or +441634202946).
Applications should be in the form of a CV and a covering letter that includes the contact details of two academic referees. Applications should be emailed directly to Dr Stella Koutsikou ([Email Address Removed]), as well as uploaded online via the following link: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/171/pharmacy
Funding Notes
This funded position, which covers tuition fees and a stipend at standard RCUK rates, is open to Home and EU applicants. Ideal candidates will have a strong background in Neuroscience or Physiology. Eligible applicants will have recently received an MSc and/or a 2:1 BSc in a relevant subject.