Postdoctoral Research Associate

Post-doctoral Position in Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging
Washington University in St. Louis

Description: We are seeking a full-time postdoctoral research associate with interests in the cognitive neuroscience of aging to work on a NIH-funded R01 project (R01AG070139) at Washington University in St. Louis, in a collaboration that includes Drs. Todd Braver, Tammy English, Brian Gordon, and Renee Thompson. The project focuses on the relationship between cognitive motivation and emotion regulation, how these change across middle- and older-age, and the impact of depressive psychopathology, utilizing a multi-method approach that combines fMRI neuroimaging with both peripheral physiological assessment and naturalistic experience sampling. A recently funded Supplement to the project provides the exciting opportunity to acquire and analyze state-of-the-art blood-based biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease in all participants. This position will provide outstanding training experiences in a wide-range of theoretical and methodological approaches within the cognitive neuroscience of aging, and the opportunity to enhance professional development skills by working with an inter-disciplinary collaborative team.

Preference will be given for candidates with strong quantitative and/or neuroimaging skills, along with prior research experience in cognitive neuroscience, affective science, cognitive aging, or Alzheimer’s disease. The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented and collaborative as well as interested in pursuing a research-oriented career, as the position will entail data analysis, manuscript preparation, and the opportunity to develop independent lines of research.

Washington University in St. Louis was founded in 1853 and is an internationally recognized center of excellence. Its Danforth and medical campus are consistently ranked in the top 15th nationally and Washington University has the 10th largest private university endowment in the nation. The postdoctoral researcher will be well supported by a wealth of institutional resources on both campuses, including the opportunity to interact with faculty from the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, the Department of Radiology, and the Joanne E. and Charles F. Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. The St. Louis metropolitan area has a population of ~3 million individuals, with over 200 parks, access to ample outdoor recreation, and a modest cost of living.

Minimum Requirements: Ph.D. degree in psychology, neuroscience, or a related field (upon job start date), evidence of significant research experience in area(s) relevant to the project
Preferred Qualifications:
• Expertise or interest in the cognitive neuroscience of aging and analyses of blood-based biomarkers
• Substantial experience with processing and analyses of human neuroimaging data
• Exceptional quantitative skills (e.g., multilevel modeling, fluency in R, MATLAB, or Python)
• Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to work well as part of a collaborative team

Salary: Salary is consistent with NIH post-doctoral stipends and based on the candidate’s career stage.
Start date: Spring/Summer 2023 – negotiable start date

How to Apply: To apply for this position, please navigate to https://jobs.wustl.edu/ and searching for job opening number JR69710. In addition, interested applicants should email a cover letter describing their research interests, relevant experience, and career goals and their CV, including contact information for three
references to Drs. Todd Braver (tbraver@wustl.edu) and Brian Gordon (bagordon@wustl.edu). Questions about the positions can also be sent to Drs. Braver and Gordon. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and until the position is filled. Our labs are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who are committed to contributing to this goal in addition to applicants from groups historically underrepresented in STEM.