Postdoctoral Researcher

University of Texas at Austin; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 62,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The Memory and Aging Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology, invites applications for postdoctoral researchers in cognitive neuroscience of memory. Candidates will work on projects examining how depression, sleep health disparities, and individual differences affect episodic memory across the adult lifespan using fMRI, EEG, wearables, and multimodal imaging.

Responsibilities include experimental design, data collection and analysis, manuscript preparation, and

Qualifications

• Ph.D. within three years of start date (preferred).
• Experience with human cognition, episodic memory, or cognitive aging research is desirable.
• Experience collecting and analyzing fMRI/MRI, EEG, or polysomnography data.

Responsibilities

• Design experiments.
• Collect behavioral, EEG, or fMRI data.
• Analyze data.
• Write scientific manuscripts and present research.

Skills

Python

MATLAB

R

Education

Ph.D. in psychology, neuroscience, public health, engineering, or related field

Job description

Job Posting Title

Postdoctoral Researcher

Hiring Department

Department of Psychology

Position Open To

All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours

40

FLSA Status

Exempt

Earliest Start Date

Nov 01, 2025

Position Duration

Expected to Continue Until Mar 10, 2026

Location

UT MAIN CAMPUS

Job Details

Postdoctoral position in cognitive neuroscience of memory

The Memory and Aging Lab in the Department of Psychology at UT Austin is seeking one to two postdoctoral researchers to spearhead research related to one or more of the following topics:

• The neurocognitive mechanisms by which depression contributes to episodic memory impairments and memory decline, and age exacerbates these impairments, in racially and ethnically varied adults across the lifespan.
• Characterization of the neural basis of sleep health disparities and their cognitive consequences in racially and ethnically dvaried adults across the lifespan.
• Open-ended topics related to individual differences in episodic memory across the adult lifespan, malleable health factors, and accessible interventions.

Studies utilize task-based fMRI and/or EEG, wearable technologies, memory task design, clinical interviews, social determinants of health, multimodal imaging, univariate, and multivariate statistical analyses.

Positions are multi-year, depending upon annual review.

Responsibilities

• Design experiments
• Collect behavioral, EEG, or fMRI data
• Analyze data
• Write scientific manuscripts and present research

Required Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in psychology, neuroscience, public health, engineering, or a related field (received no more than three years prior to the start date)
• Evidence of peer-reviewed publications
• Experience collecting and analyzing fMRI/MRI, and/or EEG data or polysomnography data
• Interest and/or experience in human cognition, particularly episodic memory or emotional cognition, and/or cognitive aging research
• Experience in advanced neuroimaging and computational analyses (i.e. machine learning methods, multimodal fusion, computational modeling)
• Demonstrated ability to use one or more programming languages for data analysis (i.e., Python, Matlab, RStudio, etc.)
• Interest and/or experience serving as a mentor to junior research assistants working on the project with you

Preferred Qualifications

• Interest and/or experience in working with different populations and the social determinants of health disparities
• Interest and/or experience in conducting clinical assessments of depression
• Ability to speak and understand Spanish

Salary Range

62-65K depending upon experience, consistent with NIH levels

Working Conditions

May work around standard office conditions

Required Materials

• CV

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Employment Eligibility

Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Retirement Plan Eligibility

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Background Checks

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer,complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action.

The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Pay Transparency

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.

Employment Eligibility Verification

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

E-Verify

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university's company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

Compliance

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.