The Rutledge Lab (PI: Robb Rutledge), which opened at University College London this summer, seeks a postdoctoral fellow interested in working in computational psychiatry at the intersection of decision and affective neuroscience, developing new computational models to understand the relationship between mood and behavior and how that relationship is affected by depression. This research will use a combination of fMRI, pharmacology, and smartphone-based data collection and is funded by a grant from the UK Medical Research Council (“The computational psychiatry of major depressive disorder”).
The laboratory is located on Russell Square at the new Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry, which is closely affiliated with the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging. The lab provides access to an excellent research and training environment. Collaborators for this research include Peter Dayan (UCL), Ray Dolan (UCL), Roland Zahn (Kings), and John Krystal (Yale). See www.robbrutledge.com for more information about past research.
Strong applicants will have:
- Ph.D. in neuroscience, psychology, or a quantitative field (e.g., computer science, engineering, physics).
- Expertise using computational approaches in the study of reinforcement learning or decision making.
- Demonstrated ability to complete projects, as evidenced by first-author publications.
- Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
- Strong mathematical (e.g., linear algebra) and programming skills (e.g., Matlab, Python).
An interest in applying computational techniques to data from people with depression. Prior clinical experience is not required.
The target start date is January 1, 2017 although later start dates are possible. Please contact Robb Rutledge (robb.rutledge@ucl.ac.uk) to discuss possibilities and attach a CV.