Postdoctoral position in neuroscience with a focus on longitudinal imaging of the aging brain

The Department of Medical and Translational Biology is looking for a postdoctoral research fellow for two years full time for a project focusing on brain mechanisms underlying maintained cognitive function at higher ages. The research is performed in an international context and unique data from the Betula cohort will be gathered and analyzed.

Application deadline: 24-08-31

Description of the project

The postdoctoral candidate will be part of the Simons Foundation initiative “Promoting functional brain maintenance – insights from successful agers” which adopts a longitudinal approach to study brain structure and function in highly selected individuals resisting typical age-related deteriorations in cognition.

The project encompasses a diverse range of methodologies, including behavioral studies and brain imaging techniques, all aimed at elucidating mechanisms and factors supporting maintained plasticity in aging.

The postdoctoral candidate will work with researchers from various fields and will be involved in human lab experiments, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), brain imaging techniques focusing on the cerebral vasculature and brain structure.

The details of the appointment will be determined together with the postdoctoral supervisors, depending on the specific interests and competencies of the applicant and the needs of the project. Regardless of specific research questions, the work will include analyses and interpretation of imaging data.

Work responsibilities

An appointment as a postdoctoral fellow aims to give the employee an early opportunity to develop independence as a researcher after completing his or her doctorate and to create the conditions for further qualifications. The postdoctoral fellow will potentially be given the option to teach on undergraduate and advanced levels.

Eligibility

A person who has been awarded a doctorate or a foreign qualification deemed to be the equivalent of a doctorate in neuroscience or other relevant field is eligible for appointment as postdoctoral researcher. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time at which the appointment decision is made.

Additional useful qualifications

Since appointment as a postdoctoral researcher is a career-development position for junior researchers, we are primarily interested in applicants who completed their doctoral degree no more than three years before the application deadline. If there are special reasons, an applicant who has completed their degree earlier than that may be considered. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, clinical practice, appointments of trust for a trade union organisation or other similar circumstances, and for relevant duties/assignments within the subject area.

The candidate is required to have a Ph.D. degree in a relevant area, and expertise in quantitative research design and statistical analysis, preferably in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, or related/close fields. In ranking qualified applicants, special consideration will be given to experience with brain imaging techniques. The position further requires that the applicant is proficient in academic written and spoken English.

More information about the position

The appointment is a full-time, fixed-term position for two years (With possible extension with one year) in accordance with the terms of contract for fixed-term employment as a postdoctoral researcher from 1 February 2022.

The postdoctoral candidate will be an integral part of Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), the Betula project, and the new multidisciplinary collaboration on Learning and Brain Plasticity throughout the lifespan initiative – a profile area that has recently been established at Umeå university. This profile area spans a multidisciplinary network of 20 principal investigators across three faculties with Professor Lars Nyberg as the project leader.

Application

The application must include:

• A personal letter that summarizes the applicant’s qualifications, competencies and interest in the position, including a description of how your experiences fit for working in the ongoing research project
• Complete CV
• Complete list of publications (including the Ph.D. thesis)
• Contact information to at least two reference persons.

The application must be written in Swedish or English. The application must be made via our e-recruitment system Varbi and must be received latest August 31st 2024.

Contacts
Professor Lars Nyberg, e-mail: lars.nyberg@umu.se
Associate Professor Anders Wåhlin, e-mail: anders.wahlin@umu.se,

We look forward to receiving your application.