PhD Scholarship and Postdoctoral Position in Experimental Neuroimaging, Neuromodulation, and Whole-Brain Network Mapping Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Italy

Alessandro Gozzi Lab at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Rovereto, Italy, is recruiting for multiple opportunities in experimental neuroscience and brain-wide network mapping.

The post highlights three openings: a Research Assistant / Pre-PhD Fellow, an ERC-funded PhD scholarship, and an ERC-funded postdoctoral position. The lab studies how brain chemistry and neuromodulatory signals shape whole-brain activity, functional connectivity, and large-scale network organization.

Research themes: experimental neuroscience, systems neuroscience, functional neuroimaging, mouse brain imaging, neuromodulation, fMRI, functional ultrasound imaging, wide-field optical imaging, optogenetics, chemogenetics, and computational analysis.

PhD scholarship: This is a fully funded 4-year project focused on mapping how neuromodulatory signals influence whole-brain activity. The project combines wide-field optical imaging and mouse fMRI, and may involve arousal-related systems such as noradrenaline or acetylcholine. The scholarship is linked to the PhD program in Cognitive and Brain Sciences at the University of Trento. The stipend is €1,600 net per month.

Postdoctoral position: This ERC-funded role investigates how basal forebrain circuits control large-scale brain activity and functional network organization in awake mice. The project combines cell-type-specific manipulations, brain imaging, and computational analysis. Experience with rodent experiments is essential, and experience with awake mouse imaging, circuit manipulations, viral/vector-based approaches, or large-scale neural datasets is a strong advantage.

Research Assistant / Pre-PhD Fellow: This role is aimed at recent graduates who want hands-on experience before applying for a PhD. The work includes animal preparation, imaging sessions, data acquisition, dataset organization, quality control, and basic analysis. A bachelor’s or master’s degree in neuroscience, biology, biomedical engineering, or a related field is required, along with willingness to work with animal models.

Eligibility highlights: strong motivation, experimental skills, interest in brain imaging and neuromodulation, and for the PhD/postdoc roles, relevant academic background in neuroscience or related fields. Prior rodent handling, imaging, coding, or data analysis experience is a plus.

Application: Applicants should email their materials to [email protected]. The research assistant and postdoctoral roles are reviewed on a rolling basis until filled. The PhD scholarship deadline is 31 July 2026.

Institution: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy.