[Comp-neuro] Postdoctoral fellowships in computational psychiatry and/or translational neuroscience

Postdoctoral fellowships in computational psychiatry and/or translational neuroscience

 

I am looking for postdoctoral fellows to conduct research in my lab at the School of Medicine of the Uiversity of Lisbon (Portugal). There may also be opportunities to spend time at the Department of Psychiatry of Columbia University (USA), where I also have a faculty appointment.

 

Research in my lab focuses on using neurocomputational models, fMRI, and behavioral experimentation to understand the neural bases of cognition and emotion and the disruption of these processes in psychiatric disorders. Additional information, including a list of publications, is available on my web page:

 

http://childpsych.columbia.edu/brainimaging/CV_maia.html

 

An overview of aspects of the lab’s approach is given in Maia & Frank (2011, Nature Neuroscience). However, the lab also focuses on several other issues not addressed in that article, so looking  at the list of publications on my web page gives a more complete picture of the topics we study.

 

Talented candidates from any background will be considered, but preference will be given to candidates with expertise in one or more of the following areas: computational neuroscience, fMRI, and/or behavioral experimentation. Interested candidates will have opportunities to combine techniques from these three areas. However, candidates interested in only one of these areas are also welcome to apply.

 

There are two funding opportunities:

 

1. Funding is available immediately for a postdoctoral fellow to work on a project that uses computational models, fMRI, and behavioral experimentation to understand reinforcement learning in Tourette Syndrome. The postdoctoral fellow would also have the opportunity to work on other projects. Initial funding is for one year, but there may be opportunities to extend that period, depending on availability of funds.

 

2. The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology is now accepting applications for postdoctoral fellowships. I would be happy to sponsor the application of strong postdoctoral candidates to pursue research in my lab, in a topic of mutual interest. These fellowships can last up to six years. The nearest deadline for applications for the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology is September 19, 2013. The application involves specifying the research to be conducted, so candidates interested in applying for this deadline should contact me as soon as possible. Successful applicants could start their fellowship any time during 2014 (but must have finished their Ph.D. by the end of 2013).

 

Candidates should send a CV and a letter describing their research interests to MaiaT@nyspi.columbia.edu. Reference letters are optional at this stage (but I will probably ask for contact information for two recommenders for candidates who make the shortlist for selection).