Postdoctoral Scientist - Schulze Lab

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI); Ashburn (VA); On-site; USD 66,780 - 81,620; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Health and welfare benefits

Access to imaging facilities

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Mentorship

Conferences support

On-site amenities

Job summary

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) – Schulze Lab at Janelia Research Campus is seeking a Postdoctoral Scientist with hybrid expertise spanning systems neuroscience, computer vision, pose-tracking, behavioral ML, and VR technology. You will probe neural circuits underlying collective behavior and social cognition.

You will design VR paradigms, integrate custom hardware with computational analysis pipelines, and study individuality, sex differences, and stress in group decision-making within a

Qualifications

• PhD in neuroscience, computer science, engineering, or closely related field.
• Hybrid background bridging software–hardware integration and computational/ML skills with systems neuroscience grounding.
• Experience building or working with complex rigs, such as VR systems for behavioral neuroscience research.
• Ability to perform highly complex experiments with reliability and accuracy within time constraints.
• Interest in neural bases of inter-individual differences, including sexually dimorphic and stress-related social contexts.

Responsibilities

• Design VR systems and paradigms to present naturalistic, socially rich stimuli.
• Write software to integrate ML-based/agentic approaches for multi-animal studies.
• Develop and execute experiments on neural circuits underlying inter-individual differences and stress in social behavior.
• Analyze multivariate brain, behavior, and stimulus data using computational methods.
• Prepare technical reports, protocols, and analyses; keep current with systems neuroscience and VR-based behavioral literature.
• Collaborate with the lab’s VR specialist and other members of the Janelia community.

Skills

Neuroscience

Computer science

Engineering

Machine learning

VR systems

Multi-animal tracking

Behavioral analysis

Data analysis

Education

PhD in neuroscience

PhD in computer science

PhD in engineering

Tools

Unity-based VR

Two-photon calcium imaging

Molecular phenotyping

VR hardware integration

Computational pipelines

Job description

About the role:

We are seeking a PostdoctoralScientistwith hybridexpertisespanning systems neuroscience, computer-vision, pose-tracking, behavioral ML, and VR technology to join the Schulze Lab. In this role, you will integrate custom hardware and software with computational analysis pipelines to probe the neural circuits underlying collective behavior and social cognition. To design and apply your own virtual reality paradigms, you will be working closely with our lab's VR specialist and collaborate across the team to investigate the rich, naturalistic behavior we study in Danionella. Further, you will use multi-animal tracking and behavioral classification to study latent structures and create brain-behavior maps.

This is an excellent opportunity for a scientifically driven researcher who iscomfortable tinkeringand who is motivated to advance the understanding of how individuality, sex differences, and stress shape the brain and decision-making in groups.

Aboutthe lab:

The Schulze Lab addresses a central question: how do neural circuits compute the experience-dependent actions animals deploy in complex, social worlds? The lab studies how individual traits, internal state, and context interact to shape both personal behavioral trajectories and group-level outcomes. We put aparticular focus on the neural basis of inter-individual differences, sexually dimorphic and stress-related features expressed in social contexts such as schooling behavior. We use data-driven approaches for realistic closed-loop controlled VR-experiments, combined with two-photon calcium imaging and molecular phenotyping at single-cell resolution to investigate brain-wide circuits in the adult vertebrate brain. Further, we use LICONN for ultrastructural analyses. More informationabout the Schulze lab can be found here:the Schulze Lab page.

In addition, the HHMI Janelia Research Campus provides a highly collaborative, resource-rich environment for our work.

What we provide:

• A competitive compensation package, with comprehensive health and welfare benefits.
• Access to Janelia’s facilities and engineering support for imaging, custom-hardware, scientific computing, Unity-based visual environments, in-situ hybridization, and dissection.
• A highly collaborative, interdisciplinary research campus with close ties to labs working acrosssystemsneuroscience, 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-site childcare, free gyms, available on-campus housing, social and dining spaces, and convenient shuttle bus service to Janelia from the Washington D.C. metro area.

Whatyou'lldo:

• Design VR systems and paradigms to present naturalistic, socially rich stimuli.
• Write software to integrate ML-based/agentic approaches for multi-animal studies.
• Develop and execute experiments investigating the neural circuits underlying inter-individual differences, sexually dimorphic and stress-related traits in social behavior.
• Analyze the multivariate whole-brain activity, behavioral, and stimulus data using computational approaches. Interpret results in the context of project goals.
• Prepare technical reports, protocols, and quantitative analyses, andmaintainfamiliarity with current literature insystemsneuroscience and VR-based behavioral neuroscience.
• Collaborate with the lab’s VR specialist and othermembers of the Janelia community.

What you bring:

• A Ph.D. in neuroscience, computer science, engineering, or a closely related field.
• A hybrid background bridging software-hardware integration and computational as well as ML skills with a solid grounding in systems 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 to exercise independent judgment in developing methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria.
• Ability to performhighly complexexperiments withhigh levelsof reliability and accuracy within time constraints.
• Genuine interest in the neural basis of inter-individual differences, including sexually dimorphic and stress-related features in social contexts such as schooling behavior.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare technical reports and contribute to publications.

Physical Requirements

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

Persons with disabilities may be able to perform the essential duties of this position with reasonable accommodation. Requests for reasonable accommodation will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Please Note:

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

Compensation:

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

Pay Type:

Annual

HHMI’s salary structure is developed based on relevant job market data. HHMI considers a candidate's education, previous experiences, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity when making job offers.