Postdoctoral Scientist - Schulze Lab

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Ashburn (VA); On-site; USD 66,780 - 81,620; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site childcare

Free gym access

On-campus housing available

Shuttle service to Janelia from DC

Job summary

HHMI Janelia Research Campus in Ashburn seeks a Postdoctoral Scientist to integrate custom hardware and software with computational analysis for probing neural circuits of social behavior in Danionella. You will design VR paradigms and collaborate across a diverse team, advancing brain-behavior maps through cutting-edge VR and imaging technologies.

The role emphasizes independent experimental design, ML-driven analysis, and publication-ready results, within a highly collaborative lab setting and

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in neuroscience, CS, or engineering; strong systems expertise.
• Hybrid hardware-software integration with ML skills.
• Experience building complex VR setups for behavioral studies.
• Ability to work independently and with a multi-disciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Design VR paradigms to present naturalistic social stimuli.
• Develop ML-based analyses for multi-animal behavior.
• Investigate neural circuits underlying inter-individual differences.
• Collaborate with VR specialist and Janelia community.
• Prepare technical reports and contribute to publications.

Skills

Neuroscience

Machine learning

VR systems development

Software-hardware integration

Scientific communication

Education

Ph.D. in neuroscience, CS, or engineering

Tools

VR hardware

Multi-animal tracking

Two-photon imaging

Job description

Primary Work Address:

19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147

About the role:

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Scientist with hybrid expertisespanning systems neuroscience, computer-vision, pose-tracking,behavioral ML, and VR technology to join the Schulze Lab. In thisrole, you will integrate custom hardware and software withcomputational analysis pipelines to probe the neural circuitsunderlying collective behavior and social cognition. To design andapply your own virtual reality paradigms, you will be workingclosely with our lab's VR specialist and collaborate across theteam to investigate the rich, naturalistic behavior we study Danionella. Further, you will use multi-animal tracking andbehavioral classification to study latent structures and createbrain-behavior maps. This is an excellent opportunity for a scientifically drivenresearcher who is comfortable tinkering and who is motivated toadvance the understanding of how individuality, sex differences,and stress shape the brain and decision-making in groups.

About the lab:

The Schulze Lab addresses a central question: how do neuralcircuits compute the experience-dependent actions animals deploy incomplex, social worlds? The lab studies how individual traits,internal state, and context interact to shape both personalbehavioral trajectories and group-level outcomes. We put aparticular focus on the neural basis of inter-individualdifferences, sexually dimorphic and stress-related featuresexpressed in social contexts such as schooling behavior. We usedata-driven approaches for realistic closed-loop controlledVR-experiments, combined with two-photon calcium imaging andmolecular phenotyping at single-cell resolution to investigatebrain-wide circuits in the adult vertebrate brain. Further, we useLICONN for ultrastructural analyses. More information about theSchulze lab can be found here: theSchulze Lab page. In addition, the HHMI Janelia Research Campus provides a highlycollaborative, resource-rich environment for our work.

What we provide:

• A competitive compensation package, with comprehensive healthand welfare benefits.
• Access to Janelia’s facilities and engineering support forimaging, custom-hardware, scientific computing, Unity-based visualenvironments, in-situ hybridization, and dissection.
• A highly collaborative, interdisciplinary research campus withclose ties to labs working across systems neuroscience,computation, modeling, and tool development.
• One-on-one mentorship.
• Support to attend and present at scientific conferences.
• Amenities that enhance work-life balance such as on-sitechildcare, free gyms, available on-campus housing, social anddining spaces, and convenient shuttle bus service to Janelia fromthe Washington D.C. metro area .

What you'll do:

• Design VR systems and paradigms to present naturalistic,socially rich stimuli.
• Write software to integrate ML-based/agentic approaches formulti-animal studies.
• Develop and execute experiments investigating the neuralcircuits underlying inter-individual differences, sexuallydimorphic and stress-related traits in social behavior.
• Analyze the multivariate whole-brain activity, behavioral, andstimulus data using computational approaches. Interpret results inthe context of project goals.
• Prepare technical reports, protocols, and quantitativeanalyses, and maintain familiarity with current literature insystems neuroscience and VR-based behavioral neuroscience.
• Collaborate with the lab’s VR specialist and other members ofthe Janelia community.

What you bring:

• A Ph.D. in neuroscience, computer science, engineering, or aclosely related field.
• A hybrid background bridging software-hardware integration andcomputational as well as ML skills with a solid grounding insystems neuroscience.
• Demonstrated experience building or working with complex rigs,such as VR systems for behavioral neuroscience research.
• Working knowledge of scientific principles and the ability toexercise independent judgment in developing methods, techniques,and evaluation criteria.
• Ability to perform highly complex experiments with high levelsof reliability and accuracy within time constraints.
• Genuine interest in the neural basis of inter-individualdifferences, including sexually dimorphic and stress-relatedfeatures in social contexts such as schooling behavior.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including theability to prepare technical reports and contribute topublications.

Physical Requirements

Remaining in a normal seated or standing position for extendedperiods of time; reaching and grasping by extending hand(s) orarm(s); dexterity to manipulate objects with fingers, for exampleusing a keyboard; communication skills using the spoken word; ability to see and hear within normal parameters; ability to moveabout workspace. The position requires mobility, including theability to move materials weighing up to several pounds (such as a laptop computer or tablet).

Persons with disabilities may be able to perform the essentialduties of this position with reasonable accommodation. Requests forreasonable accommodation will be evaluated on an individualbasis.

Please Note:

This job description sets forth the job’s principal duties,responsibilities, and requirements; it should not be construed asan exhaustive statement, however. Unless they begin with the word“may,” the Essential Duties and Responsibilities described aboveare “essential functions” of the job, as defined by the Americanswith Disabilities Act.

Compensation:

A Postdoc 00 (0 to 1 year research experience after obtaining aPhD) is compensated at a rate of $74,200.00 annually at HHMI'sJanelia Research Campus.

Pay Type:

Annual

Compensation and Benefits

Our employees are compensated from a total rewards perspective inmany ways for their contributions to our mission, includingcompetitive pay, exceptional health benefits, retirement plans,time off, and a range of recognition and wellness programs. Visitour Benefits atHHMI site to learn more.

HHMI is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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