Molecular mechanisms underlying maladaptive excitability and plasticity in stress-related diseases
We invite applications for one Postdoc position focusing on neuroadaptations in animal models of acute and chronic stress.Stress-induced neuroadaptations can be attributable to either changes in gene expression or altered signaling pathways. Many of these changes have been linked to dysfunction in synaptic plasticity and neuronal excitability in specific brain regions including the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex. The main goal of the project is the understanding of the mechanisms that drive these phenotypes.
State-of-the-art techniques are available for the execution of this project including patch-clamp recordings in brain slices, behavioral analysis, and Patch-seq. Research activities will be carried out in the Neuroscience Department supervised by Prof. D’Ascenzo at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome. For reference to recent work please see: Aceto et al., Journal Physiology 2022; Aceto et al., Neurobiology of Disease 2022; Aceto et al., PNAS 2020.
Deadline for submission of applications August 2023
Contact person: marcello.dascenzo@unicatt.it