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Postdoctoral Scholar - Computational Psychiatry - Bishop Laboratory - Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute

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Position overview

Position title: Postdoctoral Scholar
Salary range: $54,540 - $58,608; salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and based on UC Berkeley Postdoctoral Scholar salary scale.
Percent time: 100%
Anticipated start: Monday, August 16, 2021
Position duration: The initial appointment will be for one year. Thereafter, extension of the appointment is subject to the Postdoctoral Scholar (PX) bargaining agreement according to rank and step, availability of funds, and performance and productivity.

Position description

The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute (HWNI) at the University of California, Berkeley, invites applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar position, specifically in the area of computational psychiatry.

The Postdoctoral Scholar will work on an exciting, newly funded, five-year NIH project. This project brings together researchers with expertise in computational psychiatry, computational and cognitive neuroscience, and clinical science from HWNI and the Psychology Department at UC Berkeley, and the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany. Faculty involved include Professor Sonia Bishop (Psychology and HWNI, UC Berkeley), Professor Anne Collins (Psychology and HWNI, UC Berkeley), Professor Sheri Johnson (Psychology, UC Berkeley) and Professor Peter Dayan (MPI, Tübingen, Germany). The aim of the project is to use a computational approach to delineate component processes contributing to probabilistic decision-making under second-order uncertainty (volatility, ambiguity), and to relate abnormalities in these processes to dimensional measures of psychopathology. Using fMRI, we also seek to better specify sources of individual variability in function of the neural mechanisms supporting these processes. This project provides an exciting opportunity for a postdoctoral scholar candidate to work at the cutting edge of computational psychiatry research, and to take on a pivotal role with this team.

The successful applicant will have the opportunity to take an early lead on studies conducted as part of this 5-year project, and to contribute intellectually to their development and direction. We are looking for an individual who is strongly motivated to pursue an academic career and is excited by the opportunities for personal and career development this position can provide.

Specific duties will involve behavioral and fMRI experimental design and data collection, computational modeling of the data collected, presentation of the work conducted at national and international conferences and preparation of the work for publication in peer reviewed journals. There will be the opportunity to develop leadership and project management skills through management of research assistants on the project team and assistance with preparation of reports for grant funding bodies.

The Postdoctoral Scholar candidate will be based at the Computational Psychiatry and Affective Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory at UC Berkeley. This is located within the new Berkeley Way, West (BWW) building, which houses the Department of Psychology and multiple cognitive neuroscience, computational and clinical research groups that provides a rich and stimulating scientific community. BWW is within a 2 minute walk to the H. Wheeler Brain Imaging Center, located within the Li Ka Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences which is home to two 3T MRI scanners, and one 7T scanner. There will also be the opportunity for annual collaborative trips to the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany.

As a group, we enthusiastically support postdoctoral scientists who meet the eligibility criteria in application for mentored career awards. In addition to regular interactions with, and training by, members of the project team, the successful applicant will be able to take advantage of the many opportunities provided by the broader scientific community at UC Berkeley. This includes participation in weekly seminars and advanced computational modelling and fMRI courses provided by the HWNI and Psychology Department. There are also many opportunities for more informal interactions with members of the local scientific community.

You can refer to pertinent theoretical and empirical work by team members at: http://bishoplab.berkeley.edu/bishop_2018.pdf, http://bishoplab.berkeley.edu/Browning_et_al_NatNeuroscience_2015.pdf, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32710256/.

This position provides full benefits.

The department is interested in candidates who will contribute to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

University of California Postdoctoral Scholars are exclusively represented by the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW). The union’s (UAW 5810) website is http://uaw5810.org/. Details concerning your benefits as a Postdoctoral Scholar are set forth in Article 3, "Benefits," of the UC-UAW Local 5810 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). A copy of the CBA between the University of California and the UAW is located at: http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargaining-units/px/index.html.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)
  • PhD (or equivalent international degree) or enrolled in a PhD degree program (or equivalent international degree) at the time of application.
Additional qualifications (required at time of start)

• Ph.D., or equivalent international degree.

Preferred qualifications

• Knowledge of computational psychiatry, decision-making, and/or computational neuroscience literatures.
• Experience with fMRI.
• Proven track record of productivity.
• Success working in a team environment.
• Established computational modelling skills.
• Advanced programming skills in python and matlab.
• Ph.D. in cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience, or related discipline.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Statement of Research (Optional)

  • Statement on Contributions to Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Statement on your contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including information about your understanding of these topics, your record of activities to date, and your specific plans and goals for advancing equity and inclusion if hired at Berkeley (for additional information go to https://ofew.berkeley.edu/recruitment/contributions-diversity).
    (Optional)

  • Personal Statement - Personal statement describing experience and interests.

Reference requirements
  • 3 required (contact information only)
Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF02960

Help contact: sbishop@berkeley.edu

About UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The excellence of the institution requires an environment in which the diverse community of faculty, students, and staff are welcome and included. Successful candidates will demonstrate knowledge and skill related to ensuring equity and inclusion in the activities of their academic position (e.g., teaching, research, and service, as applicable).

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

Job location

Berkeley, CA