Project title: What can self-connected neurons do? A unifying theory of autaptic neural function in invertebrates and mammals

The neuron is the fundamental building block in the nervous systems of all animal species, from C. elegans with its 302 neurons, to humans with their highly evolved cortex alone containing more than 10 billion neurons. The action potential, or spike, is the basic unit of neural signalling. Most neurons communicate through chemical synapses, which project from the axon of one neuron to the cell body or dendrites of another. An autapse is a synapse connecting the neuron to itself. In this project, we will use mathematical modelling to achieve two objectives:

1. Investigate the different roles of autapses in neural processing as observed experimentally.

2. Explore autapses as a potential route to chaos and its role in healthy and pathological neural function.

The position is open to UK and overseas applicants. The ideal candidate will have a strong command of mathematical analysis and programming skills. Prior knowledge of dynamical systems theory is desirable.

Application deadline: 5pm GMT 24 January 2024