Skip to main content

Postdoc Employee-The Building Blocks of Cognition Laboratory - Psychology

Job #JPF05454
  • Psychology / College of Letters & Science - Social Sciences / UC Berkeley

Position overview

Salary range: The UC postdoc salary scales set the minimum pay determined by experience level at appointment. See the following table for the current salary scale for this position: T23 The current minimum salary range for this position is $71,491-$85,736. Salaries above the minimum may be offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions.
Percent time: 100%
Anticipated start: January 2027
Position duration: 2 year appointment, with a possibility of renewal

Application Window

Open date: July 15, 2026

Next review date: Thursday, Jul 30, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Monday, Dec 14, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

The Department of Psychology at the University of California Berkeley invites applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar Employee, specifically in the area of cognitive neuroscience.

The Building Blocks of Cognition Laboratory at the University of California at Berkeley, headed by Professor Silvia Bunge, studies the cognitive and neural processes that support reasoning, memory, and goal-directed behavior in humans.

The postdoctoral employee will work on a National Institute of Mental Health project titled "Narrowing the mechanistic gap for anterior prefrontal cortex function". This project targets the lateral aspect of anterior PFC, a brain region whose anatomy in humans is not clearly defined and whose fundamental role in cognition is poorly understood. At a descriptive level, aLPFC is involved in higher-level cognitive abilities such as planning, multi-tasking, reasoning, memory retrieval monitoring, and decision-making. Seeking to investigate its function at a more granular level via fMRI, structural MRI, and diffusion-weighted imaging on the 3 Tesla and 7 Tesla scanners at the Brain Imaging Center at UC Berkeley. Close collaborators on the project include Associate Professor Kevin Weiner (functional neuroanatomist), staff in the lab of Professor David Feinberg (MR physicist) at UC Berkeley, and collaborators at other sites.

Specific duties include the following:
• Analyze fMRI data and integrate it with structural MRI and/or DTI data
• Take the lead on writing and revising manuscripts, and present results locally and at conferences.
• Provide mentorship to lab trainees.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

PhD or equivalent international degree or enrolled in a PhD program or equivalent international degree program

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)
  • Ph.D. (or equivalent international degree) is required by the appointment start date
  • No more than 3 years of post PhD research experience
Preferred qualifications

• A Ph.D. or equivalent international degree in Neuroscience or Psychology
• Established publication record in human cognitive neuroscience
• Experience with fMRI data collection and up-to-date analysis methods
• Coding experience (ideally Python)
• Ability to carry out a variety of statistical analyses (ideally in Python, R)
• Strong writing skills and ability to write up results for publication in a timely manner
• Strong initiative and organizational and interpersonal skills
• Experience with open science data practices (e.g., preregistration on OSF; sharing code to Github, etc.)

Application Requirements

Document requirements

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

  • Cover Letter

Reference requirements
  • 3-6 required (contact information only)
Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05454

Help contact: dreamartinez@berkeley.edu

About UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy (APM 210 1-d). These values are embedded in our Principles of Community, which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive.

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity 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 more information, please refer to the University of California’s Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy and the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy.

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.

Unless stated otherwise, unambiguously, in the position description, this position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

Job location

Berkeley, CA