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Postdoctoral Researcher in Behavioral Neuroscience

Employer
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Location
Lincoln, Nebraska
Salary
Salary will be commensurate with prior experience.
Closing date
Jul 28, 2021

The Neurocircuitry of Motivated Behavior (NMB) Laboratory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (PI: K.T. Wakabayashi, Ph.D. Please see https://psychology.unl.edu/ken-wakabayashi) invites applications for a full-time Postdoctoral Researcher in Behavioral Neuroscience. We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated postdoctoral researcher to take a key role in planning and executing both behavioral and basic neuroscience experiments. The NMB laboratory studies brain circuits that regulate motivated behavior, particularly as they relate to natural, alcohol and drug reward and abuse.

Duties will include, planning and executing new experimental projects in the laboratory, direct oversight of ongoing experimental projects in the lab, management of undergraduate students, data analyses, and preparing manuscripts for publications and grants for funding. The term of employment is for 2 years, with a possible extension with satisfactory performance and availability of funding.

Responsibilities include planning and executing multiple experiments and projects, data analyses, writing manuscripts, assisting in grant application preparation, and supervising undergraduate students. Our behavioral assays include operant reward-seeking, intravenous drug self-administration, alcohol drinking models, and anxiety-related behaviors (elevated maze, marble burying). In addition, advanced neuroscience techniques including Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs), immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked electrochemical biosensors and in vivo calcium imaging with fiber photometry are used to examine the neurocircuitry underlying these behaviors. Jugular catheterization and stereotaxic surgeries are performed on a regular basis.

The applicant will be expected to keep good records of experiments, results, etc.

Required Qualifications

  • A Ph.D. and relevant research experience in neuroscience or related fields (e.g. Biological Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Pharmacology).
  • Highly organized and extremely reliable.
  • Prior experience working with rats and conducting behavioral studies, and also have technical experience with rodent surgery (e.g. stereotaxic, catheterization).
  • Proficient with Excel and basic Microsoft Office applications (Word, Powerpoint).
  • Highly motivated, have established ability to communicate in English and have the ability to work effectively in a team environment.
  • Excellent writing skills, including evidence of successful manuscript writing (first author publications) and publication productivity.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Familiarity or experience with modern neuroscience techniques, such as DREADDs, optogenetics, calcium imaging, fiber photometry or other in vivo monitoring techniques, advanced immunohistochemistry, and operant behavior such as self-administration.
  • Prior experience with programming languages (Med-State, MATLAB, Python).

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