ELIGIBILITY:

Project outlines: Many animal species can slow down their metabolism to enter a state of low-energy consumption. This state – characterized by reduced metabolic rate and body temperature—is known as torpor that represents a powerful strategy enabling animals to survive periods of low resource availabilities.

Among the most impressive adaptations during torpor, the heart continues to beat into sinus rhythm, despite a heart rate reduced to single-digits. Under depressed oxygen consumption, the heart has to maintain blood circulation by regular contractions to guarantee sufficient perfusion of the organism. At body temperature below 20°C, non-heterotherms experience severe arrhythmia and ventricular fibrillation that leads to cardiac arrest. In contrast, the heart of hibernators beats in sinus rhythm even if body temperature approaches 0°C. This unique ability of the hibernator’s heart is due to the maintenance of sufficiently fast calcium reuptake into the sarcoplasmic reticulum after contraction, despite low body temperatures. The cardiac function has also been described to be regulated by the fatty acid composition of sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane phospholipids.

This project will aim at determining the seasonal changes of the cardiac proteome and the heart functionality during winter hibernation in small hibernating species.

Tasks during the project: (i) Review of the literature on the topic ‘Hibernators Cardiac Adaptations’, (ii) Analyses of cardiac proteomic data previously generated on the Garden dormouse, and (iii) Establishment of the Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel as hibernator model for the study of cardiometabolic function.

The applicant should have a good theoretical and practical background in Animal & Cellular/Molecular Physiology and the willingness to learn data analytical software. Previous experience with statistics, including programming using R software, is required. If you are interested, please contact us as soon as possible by sending a letter of interest, CV, unofficial transcript, and contact information for three references via E-mail. All applications received by January 12th, 2026 will receive full consideration.

BENEFIT:

Salary: $11,000 to $12,500 per year

Type & duration of position: Paid Graduate Teaching Assistantship – Support available for up to 2 years (4 semesters).