Postdoctoral position in visual neuroscience, Sydney Australia

[Richard Vickery]

	Dr John Morley of the School of Physiology and Pharmacology, 
University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia) has a position available 
immediately for a postdoctoral researcher in the field of visual 
neurophysiology.  Current projects in the laboratory include a study of area 
21a of cat cortex (one of the extrastriate visual regions) using extracellular 
recording and stimulation with computer-generated visual gratings to 
characterize the ability of area 21a neurones to resolve spatial detail.  
Independent stimulation of each eye will then be used to examine whether area 
21a cells are involved in the coding of the depth of an object in the visual 
field. Double-labelling with fluorescent tracers is also being employed to 
establish details of the corticocortical connections between area 21a and 
other visually related brain structures in the cat.  Several cortical areas, 
including 17, 18, 19, and the Lateral Posterior nucleus of the thalamus are 
known to project to 21a, but whether these inputs converge on single neurones 
or whether there is discrete clustering of inputs is not known. We are also 
examining the response properties of cells in extrastriate regions in the rat 
with the aim  of using an in vitro brain slice preparation to investigate 
corticocortical and thalamocortical relationships in the visual system.
	Funding is available for 18 months at RO1 level of the NHMRC (38 092 
Australian dollars per annum).  Experience in electrophysiology or fluorescent 
tracers is highly desirable.   Applicants can obtain more details from Dr John 
Morley (J.Morley at unsw.edu.au) or by phone to 61 2 3852555.