Supervisor: Prof. dr. Lucas Noldus, Section Neurophysics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University
Co-supervisor: Prof. dr. Judith Homberg, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center
For the foreseeable future, the discovery and development of new therapies for neurological and psychiatric disorders will require research on animals, in particular mice and rats. Full understanding of an animal’s response to internal or external stimuli requires measurement of multiple biomarkers: visible (behavior), acoustic (audible sounds, ultrasonic vocalizations) and physiological parameters (cardiovascular, respiratory, brain activity and signals). In line with the principles of Refinement, Reduction and Replacement (3Rs) of animal testing, we strive to collect this data in a continuous fashion, in an environment that mimics the natural habitat of rodents (such as social housing in an enriched cage), with minimal discomfort for the animals. This project will focus on the rat, addressing two modalities: body temperature and respiration, with the aim to measure both using thermal imaging and computer vision.
Continuous body temperature monitoring in rodents is traditionally performed using a radio transmitter implanted in the abdomen, which requires surgery under full anesthesia, a highly invasive procedure. A less invasive option is an injected RFID transponder equipped with a temperature sensor. A thermal camera might offer a contact-free alternative, if we can select a body part of which the surface temperature serves as a reliable proxy for the core body temperature. Respiration rate measurement in rodents can be done using implantable sensors to monitor pressure changes or muscle activity. Like implantable thermo-sensors, this approach is highly invasive. Contact-free respiration measurement has been achieved in humans and farm animals, using a variety of techniques including acoustic sensing, thermal imaging, computer vision and radar. These approaches are based on sound, CO2 concentration changes, chest motion, or the difference between inhaled and exhaled air temperature. In this project, the potential of computer vision and thermal imaging for respiration measurement in rodents will be explored. Once an imaging-based solution has been found, it must be integrated into a multimodal test environment, in which rodent behavior and physiology can be studied in a non-invasive manner.
This internship will encompass the following phases:
You will perform the tests on rats that are subjects in ongoing animal studies, under daily supervision of a PhD student or postdoctoral researcher.
As a research intern in the Donders Center for Neuroscience (DCN), you join a vibrant community of more than 200 researchers, technical and support staff. DCN is part of the world-renowned Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior. With more than 20 nationalities represented in our center, our common language is English. You will become a member of the local research community “Rodent behavior and bioacoustics” consisting of Prof. Lucas Noldus, Prof. Judith Homberg, Dr. Bernhard Englitz, postdoctoral researchers, PhD candidates and master students, some 15 in total. The project will be carried out in collaboration with Noldus Information Technology in Wageningen, a leading developer of research tools for behavioral neuroscience. During the internship you will be able to visit the company and get a sense of a work environment outside academia. If your project is successful, the results may be published in a journal paper, of which you will become a co-author.
Prof. dr. Lucas P.J.J. Noldus, Section Neurophysics, Donders Center for Neuroscience, Radboud University
Address: Huygens Building, Room 00.136, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen
Phone: +31-6-53425199
Email: lucas.noldus@donders.ru.nl
RU-homepage: https://www.ru.nl/en/people/noldus-l
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lucasnoldus