Postdoc: Longitudinal Neuroimaging & Precision Psychiatry

Flux Society; Iowa City (IA); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The PRECISION Lab at the University of Iowa seeks a highly motivated postdoctoral scholar to join a multidisciplinary program focused on risk and resilience for psychiatric illness across development using multimodal human neuroscience approaches.

The role emphasizes state-of-the-art longitudinal precision functional mapping with repeated neuroimaging, intensive phenotyping, wearable data, and digital phenotyping to understand brain networks and symptom trajectories in youth and young adults.

Qualifications

• PhD in neuroscience, psychology, biomedical engineering, psychiatry, computational neuroscience, or related field.
• Track record in psychopathology research and human subjects research.
• Strong quantitative and statistical skills.

Responsibilities

• Join a multidisciplinary team to advance longitudinal precision functional mapping studies.
• Develop independent research projects and apply for external funding.
• Collaborate across psychiatry, neuroscience, engineering, data science, and neuroimaging methods.

Skills

Quantitative analysis

Neuroimaging

Multimodal data

Statistical methods

Education

Doctoral degree in neuroscience or related field

Job description

The PRECISION Lab (Precision Research in Early Clinical Intervention, Systems, and Integrated Outcomes in Neurodevelopment) at the University of Iowa is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral scholar to join a multidisciplinary research program focused on understanding risk and resilience for psychiatric illness across development using multimodal human neuroscience approaches. The lab integrates neuroimaging, sleep measurement, digital phenotyping, electronic health record (EHR) data, and deep clinical phenotyping to identify predictors of symptom trajectories and functional outcomes in youth and young adults.

A major focus of the lab is the development of state-of-the-art longitudinal precision functional mapping approaches, including repeated neuroimaging and intensive phenotyping, to understand how brain networks and symptoms evolve within individuals over time. These studies combine high-frequency neuroimaging, behavioral assessment, wearable data, and digital phenotyping to characterize the dynamics of psychiatric symptoms and brain function.

The postdoctoral scholar will have opportunities to work with multiple complementary datasets, including large-scale developmental neuroimaging cohorts (e.g., ABCD, AMP-SCZ) as well as an existing weekly longitudinal precision functional mapping (PFM) dataset that integrates repeated MRI, behavioral assessments, and symptom monitoring within individuals. Ongoing work is expanding these approaches to psychiatric populations, enabling the study of how brain network dynamics relate to emerging symptoms and functional outcomes.

The scholar will join a highly collaborative research environment and will work closely with investigators across psychiatry, neuroscience, engineering, data science, and neuroimaging methods. The position provides opportunities to collaborate across multiple research groups and institutions and to contribute to large-scale longitudinal datasets and emerging multimodal analytic approaches.

A major goal of the fellowship is career development. The postdoctoral scholar will receive structured mentorship and will be encouraged and supported to develop independent projects and apply for external funding (e.g., NIH K-awards and foundation grants).

The PRECISION Lab is based in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, within a vibrant and collaborative neuroscience research community.

Iowa City is a dynamic and family-friendly college town consistently ranked among the most livable communities in the United States. The area offers excellent schools, abundant outdoor recreation, and a vibrant arts and cultural scene. Iowa City has a unique intellectual and cultural environment while maintaining a high quality of life and affordable cost of living. To learn more about the community visit: https://greateriowacity.com/build/area-advantages/

The position will begin in Fall 2026, with flexibility in start date based on candidate availability. The initial appointment is for 1 year, with funding available for up to 2–3 years contingent on performance. The position is designed to support the fellow in developing an independent research program (e.g., K99/R00 or equivalent).

Candidates will have a doctoral degree in neuroscience, psychology, biomedical engineering, psychiatry, computational neuroscience, or a related field. Strong candidates will have a track record of research on psychopathology, human subjects research experience, and strong quantitative skills.

To express interest in the position, please email Jacqueline Clauss ([e-mail]) and include a cover letter, your CV, and the names of possible references whom we may reach out to in the future. We will review your submission and reply with any questions.