Postdoctoral position in Neurocognitive Aging

Johns Hopkins, founded in 1876, is America's first research university and home to nine world-class academic divisions working together as one university.

Description

The Gallagher lab at Johns Hopkins University is currently accepting applications for a postdoctoral research fellow who will further diverse interdisciplinary studies in a rat model of cognitive aging in a well-established and highly regarded research program. The ongoing research in rodents is focused on the functional properties of hippocampal circuits using behavioral, neural recording, and cellular/anatomical methods.  The research program provides a highly collaborative environment among an outstanding group of senior scientists in basic research and contact with direct translational clinical applications in age-related memory impairment in humans and prodromal Alzheimer’s disease in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Current research projects involve (1) the relationship between excitation/inhibition balance in the aging brain and cognitive performance, (2) mechanistic characterization of novel therapeutic approaches to improve cognition in aging, (3) assessment of sex differences age-related cognitive outcomes, (4) viral tracing of hippocampal circuitry.  Opportunities will be provided for training in a variety of neuroscience methods including animal models of cognitive aging, approaches for translational neuroscience, molecular biology, viral targeting, and whole brain clearing (iDISCO), imaging, and analysis. The postdoctoral fellow will be involved in all aspects of the research projects, including study design, collection of data (behavioral, pharmacological, imaging, coding), data analysis, and manuscript preparation. The fellow will be an author on all publications/studies on which they worked.

Qualifications

Applicants should have a strong neuroscience background and familiarity with relevant methods for systems neuroscience research. The applicant should be highly motivated, have excellent communication skills, and enjoy working independently as well as collaboratively. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Cellular Biology, or a related discipline when they start.

Salary is based on NIH scale plus fringe benefits. The initial appointment is for one year to be renewed yearly depending on mutual satisfaction and availability of funds. Preferred length of fellowship, if performance is satisfactory, would be a minimum of 2-3 years. Successful applicants will have demonstrated research interests in experimental cognitive neuroscience, strong experimental and statistical training, and ability to write papers, grants, and protocols. A record of publishing research is preferred but not required. Knowledge of Matlab and Python are preferred but not required. 

Application Instructions

Applicants should submit the following materials via Interfolio: statement of research interests, a curriculum vitae and contact information for three references. Given current in-person hiring restrictions, the applicant should be prepared for virtual interviews via Zoom. Only applicants considered for employment will be contacted.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Johns Hopkins University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. The university promotes affirmative action for minorities, women, disabled persons, and veterans.

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check.

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