Postdoctoral Neuroscientist

Corehr; Oxford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

38 days annual leave

Childcare services

Family leave schemes

Discounted bus travel

Season Ticket travel loans

Membership to social and sports clubs

Job summary

The University of Oxford is seeking a postdoctoral neuroscientist to investigate cognitive map failures in psychosis. You will plan experiments, analyse neural data with computational methods, and contribute to publications and conference presentations.

The role requires a PhD in neuroscience or related field, experience with animal behaviour studies and neurosurgical techniques, and expertise in simultaneous neural recordings with optogenetics.

Qualifications

• PhD in neuroscience or closely related discipline.
• Experience running animal behavioural studies and neurosurgical techniques.
• Strong quantitative and programming skills (e.g., Python).
• Experience with simultaneous neural recordings across multiple brain regions and optogenetic manipulations is essential.
• Publication track record is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Plan and conduct experiments.
• Analyse behavioural and neural data using computational methods.
• Contribute to publications and conference presentations.
• Collaborate with researchers across animal neuroscience, human neuroimaging, and computational modelling.

Education

PhD in neuroscience or closely related discipline

Tools

Rodent electrophysiology

Optogenetics

Python programming

Job description

UK date and time: 23-September-2026 16:52

Life and Mind Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3EL

The University of Oxford is a stimulating work environment which enjoys an international reputation as a world-class centre of excellence. Our research plays a key role in tackling many global challenges, from reducing our carbon emissions to developing vaccines during a pandemic.

The Department of Experimental Psychology is located on South Parks Road at the new, purpose-built Life and Mind Building; a multidisciplinary research and teaching facility that opened in the summer of 2025.

We are seeking a postdoctoral neuroscientist to work on a Wellcome Trust-funded project investigating the mechanisms underlying cognitive map failures in psychosis. You will plan and conduct experiments, analyse behavioural and neural data using computational methods to study planning and inference, contribute to publications and conference presentations, and collaborate with researchers across animal neuroscience, human neuroimaging, and computational modelling.

To be successful in this role, you will have, or be close to completing, a PhD in neuroscience or a closely related discipline, together with experience of running animal behavioural studies and neurosurgical techniques. You will have expertise in simultaneous neural recordings across multiple brain regions and concurrent optogenetic manipulations in behaving animals, as well as experience analysing behavioural and neural datasets. Strong quantitative and programming skills, such as Python, excellent organisational and record-keeping skills, and the ability to communicate research clearly through publications, presentations and collaborative work are essential. Experience with rodent electrophysiology, computational modelling, student supervision, data sharing, or open science would be advantageous.

This post is fixed term for 12 months and offered on a full-time basis working 37.5 hours per week at the Life and Mind Building and Biomedical Sciences Building (BSB). Flexible working may be available when not conducting experiments at the discretion of the Principal Investigator.

As an employer, we genuinely care about your happiness and wellbeing at work and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• 38 days annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans
• Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs

The University of Oxford is committed to equal opportunity, and to being an inclusive institution where everyone belongs and is supported to succeed. We recognise how the diversity of our community enriches our ability to deliver on our academic mission. We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds, including those under-represented within higher education. No applicant or members of staff shall be unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

The closing date for applications is midday on 28 September 2026 and only applications received by this date will be considered.