The Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (MPI-BI) is located  in the southwest of Munich, with its two locations in Martinsried and Seewiesen. It is one of more than 80 independent research institutes of the Max Planck Society. With around 500 employees from more than 50 nations, we investigate the fundamentals of "biological intelligence". We aim to understand how, in the course of evolution, animals developed abilities to cope with a constantly changing environment and to find ever new solutions to problems.

For a Human Frontiers Science Program project conducted in collaboration with Nachum Ulanovsky (Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel), the research group Avian Sleep at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence is looking to hire a postdoctoral fellow with an interest in neuroethology.

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Fellow - Neuroethology (m/f/d).

Who we are

Sleep plays an integral yet mysterious role in an animal’s daily life. The Avian Sleep group aims to understand how birds reconcile the need for sleep with ecological demands that seemingly require wakefulness. Using EEG data loggers in the wild, we demonstrated that birds can sleep in flight. We are now interested in understanding if and how birds monitor their position in space while sleeping on the move. Rather than flying birds, we are examining swimming geese, which can sleep while paddling from one place to another. Using custom data loggers developed by Ulanovsky’s lab, we will perform high-density neuronal recordings of single neurons in freely-swimming geese to explore hippocampal activity during wakefulness and sleep-swimming in a large floating aviary in Seewiesen.

Who you are

The position is best suited for an independent person who brings a certain level of expertise acquired during their PhD work, as documented by at least one first-author research publication in a respected international peer-reviewed journal. Specifically, we are seeking candidates with experience recording and analysing neuronal activity obtained from high-density electrode arrays, such as Neuropixels, and integrating this information with measures of behavior derived from video and accelerometry. Experience working with birds is beneficial but not required. You should be a good team player and diligent worker, share our passion for science and have an eye for details.

What we offer

Your salary will be that of a postdoc (German public salary scale TVÖD 13/14) and commensurate with your experience. The position is initially limited to a period of 2 years. An extension is possible depending on the course of the project. The start date could be from July 2025, but there is some flexibility.

The Max Planck Society strives for gender equity and diversity. Women are, therefore, expressly encouraged to apply. We welcome applications of any background. The Max Planck Society is committed to employing more severely disabled people. Applications from severely disabled persons are explicitly encouraged. 

Application

If interested, please direct your inquiries and apply with a succinct letter of motivation, a CV and the names of two references to Niels Rattenborg (niels.rattenborg@bi.mpg.de).

The search will continue until the position is filled.