Post-Doctoral Research Scholar position at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR, https://www.laureateinstitute.org/ )
Position: Dr. Ryan Smith is currently seeking a post-doctoral scholar who possesses experience in cognitive computational neuroscience and has an interest in emotion and emotional disorders. The position will provide the opportunity to learn additional modelling skills, and to collect and analyze data from interoception and decision-making tasks, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and peripheral physiological measures. Experience in one or more of these methods is also preferred. Computational modelling of this data will seek to identify individual differences in neurocomputational processes that can act as objective markers of affective disorder risk, severity, and future treatment outcomes. A successful candidate will: (1) develop, design, and implement research assessing individual differences in neurocomputational processes within both healthy and psychiatric populations; (2) collect and analyze fMRI/EEG, behavioral, and self-report data; (3) learn how to perform novel computational modelling methods and examine their relationship to other levels of analysis (self-report, behavior, fMRI, EEG, genetic) in available large datasets at LIBR; (4) work with research participants and LIBR staff; (5) prepare and publish papers, give presentations, and write K-level National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant applications; and (6) progress toward an independent career.
Institute: Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, LIBR is a privately-funded non-profit clinical neuroscience research institute attached to a major psychiatric hospital (Laureate Psychiatric Clinic & Hospital). Our mission is to reduce the suffering of psychiatric patients by leveraging leading talent and technology to discover novel therapies. LIBR offers excellent training opportunities in a dynamic, interactive, and multidisciplinary environment with a diverse team of collaborators. LIBR is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Facilities: A state-of-the-art neuroimaging research environment, including two 3-Tesla MRI scanners (GE Discovery MR750; fully research-dedicated), equipped with blood-oxygen-level-dependent and arterial spin labeling pulse sequencing, a custom-developed real-time fMRI system, an fMRI-compatible electroencephalography (EEG) system, and a stand-alone EEG system.
Requirements: (1) Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Clinical Psychology, Clinical Science, Cognitive Psychology, Experimental Psychology or Neuroscience, or equivalent degrees; (2) experience with computational modelling; and (3) a solid foundation in statistics. Preferred skills: (1) experience with Analysis of Functional Neuroimages (AFNI) software and scripting; (2) experience with MATLAB and R statistical analysis software.
Salary/Benefits: This is a full-time research position for 2 years with renewable funding up to 3-5 years. A full benefits package is available.
Start Date: As soon as possible. Open-ended until position is filled.
How to Apply: Interested candidates should email a CV, a brief statement of long-term career goals, and contact information for 3 references to Dr. Ryan Smith, Principal Investigator: rsmith@laureateinstitute.org