Postdoctoral Researcher in Auditory Neuroscience

The cluster of excellence Hearing4all at the Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg seeks to fill the position of a

Postdoctoral researcher (m/f/d) Salary according to E13 TV-L, 100%

in the “Cochlear and Auditory Brainstem Physiology” Division of Prof. Christine Köppl, Department for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

The position is available immediately, until December 31st, 2025, and suitable for part-time work.

Our research: the lab is broadly interested in hearing: its anatomy, physiology, development and evolution. The research area for which we seek a new postdoc is focussed on age-related hearing problems, an increasingly common health condition that severely impacts the life of many elderly people. Many processes contribute to hearing problems with aging. We focus on changes in the cochlea and auditory brainstem, and the consequences for neural coding of sounds, at both the single-unit and population levels. Gerbils are our preferred animal model since they have good low-frequency hearing, overlapping the frequency range of human speech. Birds are an interesting comparative model since they do not appear to suffer age-related cochlear degeneration.

This postdoc position should focus on one of two possible project lines:

A: Electrophysiology of the ageing cochlear nucleus, including in-vivo single-unit recordings.

B: Morphology of the ageing cochlea, including high-resolution synaptic analyses.

Your profile: We seek a highly motivated candidate with

• an academic university degree (Master or equivalent) in biology, neuroscience or related fields
• the ability to carry out independent research, evidenced by a high-quality PhD and a good publication record
• For project line A: profound experience with recording neural activity, including single-unit recordings, and ideally in the lower auditory pathway.
• For project line A: profound experience in data analysis, preferably using Matlab
• For project line B: profound experience in immunohistochemistry and/or transmission electron microscopy
• For project line B: profound experience with quantitative image analysis

Please explain in your motivation letter which project line you are most interested in and qualified for.

What can you expect? We offer an attractive international work environment with excellent facilities. The work is part of a larger team effort in the cluster of excellence Hearing4all, an interdisciplinary cluster jointly run by the University of Oldenburg, Hannover Medical School and Leibniz University Hannover.

How to apply: Please include your motivation letter, CV, certificates and two of your most relevant publications (preferably via E-Mail as a single PDF-file) until Feb 28^th 2023 to: Ilona Dwehus; ilona.dwehus@uol.de; Dept. of Neuroscience, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Carl von Ossietzky Str. 9-11, D-26129 Oldenburg.

The University of Oldenburg is dedicated to increasing the percentage of its female scientists. Therefore, female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. In accordance with § 21 Section 3 NHG, equally qualified female candidates will be considered preferentially. Applicants with disabilities will be given preference in case of equal qualification.