Postdoctoral Researcher Neural Circuits & Sensory Perception

Rutgers University; Piscataway Township (NJ); Hybrid; USD 20,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey's Brain Health Institute is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate to investigate neural mechanisms of sensory perception, learning, and decision-making. The lab uses electrophysiology, imaging, and computational analyses to study awake behaving rodents.

This fully on-site role involves psychophysical training, viral tools, stereotaxic surgery, and collaboration across teams; strong publication record and mentoring are desirable.

Qualifications

• PhD in Neuroscience, Biological Sciences, Physiology, Biomedical Engineering, Psychology, or a relevant field required.
• Peer-reviewed publications and strong training in one or more of the following areas are strongly preferred: in vivo electrophysiology in awake animals; multichannel silicon-probe recordings; optogenetics/opto-tagging; stereotaxic surgery and AAV viral delivery; quantitative behavioral training and analysis; histology/immunohistochemistry and fluorescence imaging; and computational analysis of neural, imaging, or behavioral data using Python, MATLAB, or related platforms.
• Experience with animal psychophysics, cortical circuit analysis, and mentoring trainees is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Trains and tests rodents on auditory and audiovisual psychophysical tasks to assess perception, learning, and decision-making.
• Performs anatomical tract tracing, labeling, immunohistochemistry, imaging, and analyses of neural circuits involved in auditory processing and decision-making.
• Performs stereotaxic surgical procedures, including craniotomies, implants, and viral injections.
• Performs high-channel-count in vivo electrophysiological recordings in awake-behaving animals using silicon probes and optogenetic approaches.
• Performs research using viral transfection and circuit manipulation techniques including optogenetics and DREADDs.
• Develops computational workflows for electrophysiology, imaging, and behavioral data analysis using Python, MATLAB, ImageJ/FIJI, DeepLabCut.
• Maintains accurate records of experiments, animal procedures, data analysis, and progress.
• Analyzes and presents data at meetings and in manuscript and grant preparation.

Skills

In vivo electrophysiology

Stereotaxic surgery

Behavioral training

Python

MATLAB

Data analysis

Education

PhD in Neuroscience or related field

Tools

Silicon probes

Optogenetics

DREADDs

ImageJ/FIJI

DeepLabCut

AAV viral delivery

Job description

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey's Brain Health Institute is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate to investigate neural mechanisms of sensory perception, learning, and decision-making. The lab uses electrophysiology, imaging, and computational analyses to study awake behaving rodents.

This fully on-site role involves psychophysical training, viral tools, stereotaxic surgery, and collaboration across teams; strong publication record and mentoring are desirable.