Phd Or Postdoc Position | Behavioral Neurobiology

The Neural Mechanisms of Natural Behavior Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence in Germany has an opening for a pre- or postdoctoral researcher to join an HFSP-funded research project investigating the neural mechanisms of avian biosonar behavior. This multidisciplinary study focuses on neural processing of somatosensory and auditory information in freely flying birds. It aims at uncovering which sensory modality the birds use for sound reception during echolocation. Combining behavioral monitoring and cutting-edge wireless technology to capture extracellular neuronal activity and vocalization behavior simultaneously (see Hoffmann et al. (2019) Nat Commun 10(1):2577 for reference (DOI)), the project seeks to test the potential of facial feathers in oilbirds (Steatornis caripensis) to act as high-frequency sound sensors. The successful candidate will join a young and collaborative, international team dedicated to advancing our understanding of the neural basis of animal behavior under natural, social conditions. The position will be based in Seewiesen (Southern Bavaria, Germany), but extended periods of field research in Colombia are a major part of the project.