Postdoctoral Research Associate in Learning and Decision Making

Department of Experimental Psychology, Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford.

We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral research associate to take forward an exciting and novel project, funded through the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), to investigate the role of new, adult-born neurons in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, in hippocampal information processing and behaviour.

This post is fixed-term until 31 December 2018, with a start date of January 2016 (or as soon as possible thereafter). 

This post will appeal to those with a keen interest and familiarity with the neuroscience of spatial learning and of the hippocampus. The postholder will use combinations of cutting-edge in vivo electrophysiology with optogenetic interference techniques in behaving rodents during tests of learning and memory. These studies will be performed in the Behavioural Neuroscience Unit in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford.

Candidates should have obtained, or be near to obtaining, a PhD in a relevant discipline (psychology, neuroscience, physiology, pharmacology), a keen interest in the neuroscience of spatial learning and of the hippocampus, and practical experience with behavioural testing of animals. Experience with stereotactic surgery, pharmacological manipulations, and perfusion/histological procedures are essential, along with experience with in vivo electrochemical and/or electrophysiological recordings. You will also have experience in computer programming and advanced knowledge of computer programming languages for signal analysis (e.g. C, Python, R or Matlab).

Applications for this vacancy are to be made online. You will be required to upload a supporting statement and CV as part of your online application.

The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on 8 January 2016.

https://www.recruit.ox.ac.uk/pls/hrisliverecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=121361