The University of Lethbridge has established an exciting new program in Systems and Computational Neuroscience that focuses on studying brain dynamics. The offered salaries are competitive with NIH standards for postdoctoral and graduate trainees.
Our world-class training programs and facilities provide an excellent and unique learning environment for the new and experienced. The Brain Dynamics group is highly collaborative and encourages multidisciplinary approaches to study how large populations of neurons interact and control behavior. Particular research strengths of our group are in the areas of learning and memory, decision making, information coding and related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, addiction and stroke.
Please review our research page for further details on our current research.
Research methods used in our group include:
- Behavioural analysis
- Pharmacology
- Optogenetics
- High density in vivo electrophysiology
- Cellular-resolution imaging of population activity using immediate early gene assays
- Voltage sensitive dye imaging of neural activity in vivo and in vitro
- In vitro electrophysiology (dynamic-clamp)
- Histological tract tracing
- Motor control analysis using high speed video
- Small animal magnetic resonance imaging
- Automated experimental control
- Computational modeling
- High performance parallel computing for simulation and data analysis
If you are interested in joining our group, email a letter of interest describing your research goals, skills and experience, your C.V., and the names of three references (please do not have reference letters sent unless requested) to amanda.mauthe2@uleth.ca. Applicants should put “CCBN Polaris recruitment” in the subject of their email.
Postdoctoral Fellowship in System Neuroscience
A position as Postdoctoral Fellow is now open for an outstanding postdoctoral associate to conduct research in the field of neural network functions at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta. Our goal is to understand cellular and brain system mechanisms of memory and cognitive processing in animal models of healthy brain and memory disorders associated with aging and brain damage. Our research focusses on information coding, neural dynamics and system level neural interactions among diverse brain regions (e.g., hippocampus, prefrontal, retrosplenial, parietal and anterior cingulate cortices). This research will be supported by state-of-the-art facilities including advanced two-photon imaging, microendoscope imaging, wide-field voltage and calcium imaging, and high-density multi-unit electrophysiological recording and optogenetic techniques.
The project is a collaborative effort between the research groups of Prof. Bruce McNaughton and Dr. Majid Mohajerani. Successful candidates will join the highly collaborative and interdisciplinary Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience and Brain Dynamics group, which has outstanding research strengths in the areas of learning and memory, decision making, information coding and related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, addiction and stroke. Salary scales will be competitive with NIH standards for postdoctoral researchers. The position will be initially for 1 year with possibility of renewal depending on performance review at the end of the first 9 months.
Qualifications
Preference will be given to candidates with strong quantitative and neuroscience methodological backgrounds such as neural ensemble recording, 2-photon or other in vivo neural activity imaging or in brain mapping. Good verbal and written communication skills are a must. Experience in MATLAB will be an asset. Candidates should be prepared to learn and use cutting-edge physiological, anatomical, and computational techniques, such as virtual reality-based rodent behavioural systems, optogenetic manipulations, and statistical methods for the analysis and modelling of data.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should send an email to Dr. McNaughton (bruce.mcnaughton@uleth.ca) with cc to Dr. Mohajerani (mohajerani@uleth.ca) and include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a brief statement of research interests, and contact information of three references. Applications are encouraged from women and minorities.