Student Opportunities
Why choose us?
As a student in the van Swinderen lab, you will gain invaluable hands on experience in primary basic science research in a vibrant and friendly environment. Our group regularly meets on a weekly basis for journal clubs, 'show & tells' and other special presentations designed to improve and sharpen critical thinking and analytical skills.
Other benefits include daily morning teas provided by QBI, access to institute-wide neuroscience seminars, student social events and much more.
We have opportunities for all tertiary level students from undergraduate to postgraduate, please browse our available projects and contact us if you're interested.

Available PhD projects
Visual attention project
Free will is history: tracking fly choices in virtual reality to understand decision making through time.
Sleep project
Perceptual suppression mechanisms in the Drosophila brain: the interplay between sleep and selective attention to optimise behavioural performance.
General anaesthesia project
Presynaptic mechanisms of general anaesthesia: linking local effects on neurotransmission with global effects on functional connectivity in the Drosophila brain.
Available MPhil projects
Visual attention, sleep and anaesthesia projects
We have projects available in our lab for MPhil students to study what interests them most. Projects on visual attention, sleep or general anaesthesia are available to applicants.
Read the PhD descriptions for more general information on each project or get in touch with us.
Available Honours projects
Visual attention, sleep and anaesthesia projects
We have short term projects available in our lab for honours students to study paradigms of visual attention, sleep or general anaesthesia.
Read the PhD descriptions for more general information on each project or get in touch with us.
Summer & Winter Scholarships
QBI offers Summer & Winter scholarships for undergraduate students looking to gain invaluable research experience to prepare them for honours or postgraduate studies. We offer a variety of different projects that can be performed over the span of a Summer or Winter break.
For more information, visit the official QBI student research website to read more or apply.
To discuss potential projects, please contact us directly.