Postdoctoral Scholar

Description

The Arce-McShane lab in the Department of Oral Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Dentistry has openings for two postdoctoral scholar/fellow positions.

Postdoctoral scholars and fellows are represented by UAW 4121 and are subject to the collective bargaining agreement, unless agreed exclusion apply.  For more information, please visit the University of Washington Labor Relations website.

Research in the Arce-McShane Lab focuses on the principles of cortical and biomechanical control of oral sensorimotor behavior and how these are affected by learning, aging, and disease. Our lab uses a multidisciplinary approach to understand the interplay between sensation and movement using converging evidence from psychophysics, biomechanics, neurophysiology, and computational modeling. Our methods include recording neural activity from chronically-implanted microelectrode arrays in multiple regions of the cerebral cortex simultaneous with recording the kinematics of the tongue and the mandible using high-resolution biplanar radiography and applying computational models to understand the principles of sensorimotor control.

We are seeking individuals with experience in one or more fields: large-scale electrophysiology in behaving animals, biomechanics (electromyography, movement tracking using C-arm fluoroscopy or videoradiography), or computational modeling. 

Major duties and responsibilities:

• Conduct experiments independently and in accordance with general directions set by the principal investigator; develop research techniques for lab’s research projects (50%)
• Perform data analysis independently; write original scientific papers describing research findings for peer review publication (40%)

• Participate in collaborative projects, general laboratory operations and activities (5%)
• Supervise, schedule and coordinate the activities of staff/students (5%)

The postdoctoral scholar/fellow will benefit from excellent research experience and a highly supportive and collaborative environment in the Schools of Dentistry and Medicine. UW is also home to the Washington National Primate Research Center, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in Basic Biology of Aging, and other shared core facilities, which all together constitute a dynamic scientific environment.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Systems/Computational Neuroscience or a related field.  Degree must be conferred by the time of appointment.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research.
• Demonstrated experience with analyzing high-dimensional data using Matlab or Python.

• Experience with animal (behaving) neurophysiology, biomechanics, or related field.
• At least one peer-reviewed paper or under review at the time of appointment.

Application Instructions

Motivated candidates should submit a curriculum vitae, a statement of research goals, and a diversity statement. Questions regarding the position maybe directed to Dr. Fritzie Arce-McShane at fritziea@uw.edu. Compensation follows the NIH NRSA Stipend scale. Additional information on benefits and being a postdoc in the University of Washington can be found in the UAW Postdoctoral Scholars contract (tentative agreement, subject to ratification vote by the union and UW Board of Regents approval).

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.

Commitment to Diversity

The University of Washington is committed to building diversity among its faculty, librarian, staff, and student communities, and articulates that commitment in the UW Diversity Blueprint (http://www.washington.edu/diversity/diversity-blueprint/). Additionally, the University’s Faculty Code recognizes faculty efforts in research, teaching and/or service that address diversity and equal opportunity as important contributions to a faculty member’s academic profile and responsibilities (https://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/FCG/FCCH24.html#2432).

COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements and Information

Under Washington State Governor Inslee’s Proclamation 21-14.1, University of Washington (UW) workers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof thereof, or receive a UW-approved medical or religious exemption. This requirement will be a condition of any offer associated with this recruitment. For more information, please visit https://www.washington.edu/coronavirus/vaccination-requirement/.