Research Associate (Fixed Term)

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research associate to study the mechanism of action of drugs used clinically to treat anxiety in humans. The successful candidate will be based in the laboratories of Professor Jeff Dalley and Professor Rebecca Lawson (Department of Psychology) and will collaborate with a team of neuroscientists working across different scales and species to reveal how medications and psychological therapies improve anxiety symptoms.

The successful candidate will investigate how the brain noradrenergic and serotonergic systems dynamically encode different types of uncertainty in the environment. The project will specifically evaluate whether anti-anxiety medications that block the active reuptake of noradrenaline and serotonin (i.e., SNRIs and SSRIs) improve anxiety symptoms by adjusting the representation of uncertainty signals in the brain. Applicants should have completed a PhD in neuroscience, pharmacology, biology, psychology, or other relevant discipline. We are looking for someone with experience in behavioural neuroscience and psychopharmacology in rodents, with a working knowledge of Pavlovian and instrumental tasks, including touchscreen-based technology. Skills in histology, immunohistochemistry, RNAscope, Western blotting, and stereotaxic surgery are essential. Experience with MRI, biosensors, and computational modelling would be desirable, but is not essential.

The research position is available from 19th of February 2024 for an initial 2-year period with the possibility of an extension for up to a further 3 years. In addition to the covering letter, CV, and contact details of 2 referees, applicants are asked to provide a brief statement (500 words) describing the questions and approach they consider important for the study of noradrenaline and serotonin in learning-related neuroplasticity, specifically learning in relation to stimulus uncertainty, and their future career ambitions.

The research activity is at the core of a new Wellcome Trust-funded Mental Health Award, which brings together a cross-disciplinary team of international experts to investigate how different types of uncertainty are encoded in the brain through dynamic signalling of the noradrenergic and serotonergic systems. The work programme bridges work across species (rats, humans) and scales (neurochemicals, local circuits and global networks) to uncover the 'active ingredients' of effective therapeutic intervention in anxiety disorders.

This project facilitates cross-disciplinary training in innovative methodologies at the intersection of behavioural, cognitive and computational neuroscience. Successful applicants will be integrated in a diverse collaborative team and will have the opportunity to participate in workshops and retreats across the network as well as exchange visits across labs to facilitate cross-disciplinary training and collaborative working.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a security check.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

For informal inquiries, please contact Jeff Dalley at [email protected] and/or Becky Lawson at [email protected]

Closing Date: Midnight on Sunday 28th January 2024

Interviews: Monday 12th February 2024

Please quote reference PJ40082 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Further information
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