PhD position – Neuro-inspired computational modeling of anti-seizure medications

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder affecting about 1% of the general population. Despite the availability of numerous anti-seizure medications, identifying the optimal treatment for each patient remains a major clinical challenge.

The CANDLE project aims to help address this challenge by using digital twins of brain activity at multiple scales. It brings together three partners: LTSI-Inserm in Rennes, AMU-APHM in Marseille, and INMED in Marseille.

The objective of the PhD project is to model the pharmacodynamics of anti-seizure medications at the microscale, i.e. at the cellular level.

The work will consist of integrating the mechanisms of action of levetiracetam and lacosamide, two widely prescribed anti-seizure medications, into epileptic models of the hippocampus and neocortex.

The recruited candidate will contribute to extending existing computational models, developed in Python, by integrating a pharmacological module. This module will be used to test the impact of different medication doses, in monotherapy and polytherapy, on epileptic events at the cellular level.

Applicants should hold a master’s degree or an engineering degree.

A background or experience in one or more of the following fields would be particularly appreciated:

• dynamical systems;
• computational neuroscience;
• systems biology;
• biomathematics;
• pharmacology;
• neuroscience or neurology.

Knowledge of electrophysiology would be an asset.

The PhD project will be carried out in a multidisciplinary research environment at the interface of modeling, neuroscience, pharmacology, and clinical research.

CANDLE is designed as a distributed research project between Rennes and Marseille, conducted within a shared framework to promote scientific coherence and close collaboration between partners. PhD candidates will benefit from a shared environment combining scientific, technological, and clinical expertise.

• Contract type: PhD contract
• Duration: 3 years
• Salary: according to Université de Rennes rules regarding doctoral student remuneration
• Hosting unit: LTSI – Laboratoire Traitement du Signal et de l’Image, Université de Rennes
• Address: Université de Rennes, Campus de Beaulieu, Building 22, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France