A 2027 Crick PhD project with Jonny Kohl.
Project background and description
Our goal is to understand how physiological states shape information processing in the brain. Instinctive behaviours such as parenting, aggression or feeding are orchestrated by evolutionarily sculpted neural circuits. Considerable progress has been made in deconstructing these circuits in recent years [1] and it has become clear that their function profoundly depends on the animal's current physiological (reproductive, metabolic etc.) state [1, 2]. However, we know little about the mechanisms by which internal states affect circuit function to orchestrate behavioural changes.
The lab uses state-of-the-art approaches, such as multi-site optical/electrophysiological recordings, behavioural profiling, optogenetics, viral tracing and (spatial) transcriptomics, to address these fundamental questions. In recent work we have uncovered how ovarian hormones remodel hypothalamic neurons to drive the onset of parental behaviour during pregnancy [3] and how hypothalamic neurons integrate hunger and hormonal state to gate infant-directed aggression [4].
Projects are typically developed based on mutual interest and often shaped by the lab’s recent findings. Prospective candidates are encouraged to contact Dr. Kohl to discuss opportunities in more detail.
Candidate background
Candidates should have a background in neuroscience, biosciences, engineering, or a related field. We are looking for highly motivated and creative individuals that thrive in a collaborative setting. Since projects in the lab typically involve acquiring and analysing complex datasets, quantitative and programming skills are essential.
Lab-specific question
What do you think is the most important unanswered question in the area of state-dependent or lifestage-specific brain plasticity, and how would you address it?
References
1. Kohl, J., Babayan, B.M., Rubinstein, N.D., Autry, A.E., Marin-Rodriguez, B., Kapoor, V., . . . Dulac, C. (2018)
Functional circuit architecture underlying parental behaviour.
Nature 556: 326–331. PubMed abstract
2. Wei, D., Talwar, V. and Lin, D. (2021)
Neural circuits of social behaviors: Innate yet flexible.
Neuron 109: 1600–1620. PubMed abstract
3. Ammari, R., Monaca, F., Cao, M., Nassar, E., Wai, P., Del Grosso, N.A., . . . Kohl, J. (2023)
Hormone-mediated neural remodeling orchestrates parenting onset during pregnancy.
Science 382: 76–81. PubMed abstract
4. Cao, M., Ammari, R., Chen, M.X., Wai, P., Jamieson, B.B., Liang, S., . . . Kohl, J. (2025)
Integration of hunger and hormonal state gates infant-directed aggression.
Nature 648: 138–145. PubMed abstract
5. Husain, B.F.A. and Kohl, J. (2025)
Plasticity of the parental brain.
Current Opinion in Neurobiology 95: 103129. PubMed abstract
