Animals have evolved a remarkable diversity of behaviours. How is it that nervous systems can generate diverse behaviour? We will use the small stereotypic nervous systems of Caenorhabditis elegans and C. tropicalis (and other nematodes!) to investigate what differences in their nervous systems allow differences in behaviour. Both species have 300 neurons, with highly conserved anatomical and molecular identities. Yet, we find differences in how nematodes species behave. For example, with our collaborators Dominique Glauser's lab, we found that C. elegans and C. tropicalis behave differently to heat stimuli. The Swiss National Science Foundation has funded my lab to determine which circuit, genetic and nervous system-wide functional differences underlie these differences in behaviour. Though in the future we will expand out to other types of sensory and behavioural phenotypes. In my lab we use functional calcium imaging at both a single neuron and brain-wide level, behavioural assays, genetics and genetic engineering, and of course plenty of data analysis to understand functional and genetic differences between nematode species. See some of my previous worm work here. My lab will be starting at the CIG in October 2026 in Lausanne, Switzerland. If you are fascinated about understanding the neuronal basis of behaviour, apply to my lab!

Graduate students: I currently have funding for PhD students, please apply!
Postdocs: If you're interested in a postdoc with me please reach out and we can see if we're a fit and how to make a position happen. 
Masters: I'll be taking Masters students in 2027 through the UNIL programs, however, you can reach out to me if you're from another program to have a chat about possibilities.

How to apply: Please send an email to annika.nichols@uqconnect.edu.au with:

Learn more about the excellent working conditions and competitive salaries at UNIL.

Official advert for PhD students here