Job Description

Postdoctoral associate/Senior scientist

Department of Neuroscience and Medical Discovery Team on Optical Imaging and Brain Science, University of Minnesota, MN

We are seeking a postdoctoral associate/senior scientist for the Integrated Circuit Neuroscience labs ( icnlabs.org ), which are part of the Department of Neuroscience and the Medical Discovery Team on Optical Imaging and Brain Science at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. The labs are located at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), home to some of the most advanced MR instrumentation in the world. In addition, the Optical Imaging team has access to state-of-the-art single- and multiphoton instruments for cellular resolution calcium and voltage imaging in behaving animals. The multipopulation voltage imaging technique, developed by the principal investigators (see refs.: Kannan, Vasan et al., Nature Methods, 2018; Science, 2022) is uniquely poised to provide insights into the dynamics of genetically targeted neuron types in cortical and subcortical areas, during rodent behavior, at single-neuron, single-spike resolution.

The labs are funded by the departmental startup as well by multi-year NIH BRAIN Initiative and NARSAD Young Investigator grants that support the engineering and application of innovative optical technologies to dissect the circuit and network basis of mental experience and behavior.

Job Description:
The incoming candidate will examine the circuit and network mechanisms underlying rodent behavior and the real-time dynamic interactions between genetically targeted neuron types during attentional paradigms/virtual navigation. The candidate will be trained in cutting-edge techniques including cellular resolution voltage and calcium imaging in behaving animals, targeted gene perturbation, and single-cell transcriptomics. They will participate in all aspects of the project from conception to data acquisition, analyses, and the dissemination of the work. They will have multiple opportunities to train graduate and undergraduate students, collaborate with other labs in the department, and compete for early career fellowships.

Consideration will also be given to exceptional international applicants with a proven track record. The salaries are highly competitive and includes a comprehensive benefits package, as detailed below.

Required Qualifications:
• Ph.D. degree in the life sciences or engineering with a strong background in cellular, circuits, or systems neuroscience. For consideration as a senior scientist, the candidate should have at least 2-4 years of postdoctoral experience.
• Experience with live tissue/live animal fluorescence imaging, and/or slice electrophysiology.
• Prior experience with stereotaxic rodent surgeries, including intracranial viral vector infusions and cranial window implantations, subcortical cannular implantations, and/or animal behavioral assays is highly desired.
• An excellent track record, as evidenced by first-author publications and conference presentations.
• Knowledge of programming languages, such as MATLAB, for data acquisition and analyses.

About University of Minnesota Twin Cities

The University of Minnesota, founded in the belief that all people are enriched by understanding, is dedicated to the advancement of learning and the search for truth; to the sharing of this knowledge through education for a diverse community; and to the application of this knowledge to benefit the people of the state, the nation, and the world.

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