In January 2021, the collaborative research center “Robust Vision – Inference Principles and Neural Mechanisms” (CRC 1233) started its second funding period. Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), a group of more than 20 PIs that are jointly addressing the question why biological visual systems are so remarkably robust by combining expertise in experimental and computational neuroscience, as well as in machine learning and computer vision.
As part of this interdisciplinary research initiative, applications are sought for one PhD student position on the topic of “Impacts of eye movements on visual processing: from retina to perception” in the group of Katrin Franke at the Institute for Ophthalmic Research and the Center for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN).
Eye movements result in substantial retinal image shifts. This creates continuous spatio-temporal modulations of neural activity, starting from the photoreceptors and all the way to downstream areas. In this project, we will investigate the impacts of eye movements on visual processing in the mammalian early visual system. With this, we expect to identify neural mechanisms underlying robust encoding of visual information in the face of continuous image shifts and to delineate the role of early sensory encoding in eye-movement related perceptual phenomena. The PhD student will be responsible for the acquisition of in vitro two-photon calcium and glutamate recordings from the mouse and primate retina and subsequent data analysis. The project will be jointly conducted with a PhD student based in Ziad Hafed’s lab who will focus on electrical recordings of neural activity in primate superior colliculus and V1.
The candidate for this position requires strong experimental skills, prior programming experience and a background in neuroscience. Experience with two-photon imaging will be considered an asset. Importantly, the candidate requires the ability to work in an interdisciplinary team.
The candidate will be working at the CIN and the Institute for Ophthalmic Research under the supervision of Katrin Franke, in close collaboration with Ziad Hafed’s and Thomas Euler’s groups at Tübingen University. The PhD student will be enrolled in one of the PhD programs of the renowned Graduate Training Center of Neuroscience at Tübingen University. The position is immediately available, with funding for 3 years (with the option on a 1-year extension). We offer employment with a salary and social benefits based on the collective agreement for public service employees in the academic and science sector, TV-L. The CRC promotes gender equality and therefore particularly encourages female scientists to apply. Preferential status will be given to handicapped persons, if equally qualified.
Tübingen is a vibrant university city in the south of Germany. Besides the CIN, Tübingen is also home to the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and several institutes of the Max Planck Society, among others. This allows for a tremendous exposure to the latest advances in neuroscience, vision/robotics, human-computer interaction, brain-computer interfaces, etc. There are also opportunities for collaborative projects across labs/institutes.
Applications should include a CV, a statement of research motivation and experience, and the names of at least two referees. Please compile your application in one single PDF-file and email it to katrin.franke@uni-tuebingen.de.

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