NCBS Postdoctoral Fellowship & Ph.D. Opportunities: Investigating Schizophrenia Mechanics

The National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS)—part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research—is hiring Postdoctoral Fellows and Ph.D. students. Research at NCBS spans frontier areas of biology, utilizing both computational and experimental approaches across molecules, cells, and organisms to build an integrated understanding of life processes.

Research Focus: A New Genetic Model for Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia remains a complex psychiatric disorder with poorly understood cellular and molecular mechanisms driving its onset and progression. To address this, the laboratory has generated two new CRISPR-mouse models of a genetic-risk allele for schizophrenia, bridging risk-association with mechanistic insights into neuronal and glial alterations.

Project Scope: The research combines interdisciplinary expertise, linking cell-specific mechanisms from mouse models directly to patient-derived functional genomics and iPSC/organoid models to uncover new pathways for targeted therapeutic intervention.
Key Responsibilities (Postdoc):
- Characterise the novel genetic model across behavior, circuit activity, and cellular phenotype.
- Perform targeted manipulation to uncover mechanistic insights into positive and cognitive symptoms.
- Connect TCF4-related patient SNPs to their functional consequences and risk association.
- Validate findings in human iPSC- and organoid-based systems for human-relevant discoveries.
Established Toolkits: Techniques utilized include Mini2P two-photon recording of neural activity in freely behaving mice, whole-brain functional imaging by SPECT, robotic stereotaxic surgery, chemogenetics, optogenetics, electrophysiology, mouse genetics, behavior, morphometry, high-resolution microscopy, flow cytometry, molecular biology, and cell culture.

Candidate Eligibility

Postdoctoral Position:
- Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Genetics, or Biology.
- Strong analytical and experimental skills with a knack for troubleshooting.
- Preferred: Prior experience with rodents, organoids, molecular biology, multi-omics, and data mining.
Ph.D. Student Position:
- Master’s degree in Biological or Physical sciences, OR a Bachelor’s in Engineering.
- Analytical mind, ability to multi-task, and a discovery mindset with a drive to learn.

How to Apply

Application Process: Interested candidates should email a recent CV along with a short write-up detailing their specific interest in the project to hiyaa@ncbs.res.in.
References: Request three referees to directly email their recommendation letters for you to Prof. Ghosh.
Additional Note: Ph.D. candidates and students possessing their own fellowships (such as UGC, CSIR, or similar) should also apply through the official NCBS Ph.D. programme. Candidates are advised to follow up if they do not receive a response within one week of submission.