Research Assistant/Associate in Computational Psychiatry (Fixed Term)

at  University of Cambridge

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 Prediction and Learning lab, run by Professor Rebecca Lawson (Department of Psychology).
The project ¿ funded by a Wellcome Mental Health Award - 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 how people represent uncertainty. Mechanistic insights will be informed using pharmacological interventions in an experimental medicine framework, and validated using high-resolution (7Tesla) magnetic resonance imaging.
The post holder will work closely with the PI and the wider project team to design new cognitive tasks and develop robust computational models of behaviour, coordinate with clinical and research collaborator, supervise junior lab members, collect data, analyse data from existing and future projects, and write papers.
Applicants should have completed, or be close to completing, a PhD in clinical neuroscience, experimental psychology, computational psychiatry, or other relevant disciplines. We are looking for someone with previous experience of psychopharmacology and computational psychiatry, with working knowledge of 7T neuroimaging. An undergraduate background in pharmacology and/or mathematics would be desirable.
The research position is available from January 2025 for an initial 3-year period with the possibility of an extension for up to a further 2 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 what they think noradrenaline and serotonin do in the brain and sketch out a brief idea for a study to their hypothesis.
The successful candidate will collaborate with a team of neuroscientists working across different scales and species to reveal how medications and psychological therapies improve anxiety symptoms. This collaborative network provides unique opportunities for cross-disciplinary training in innovative methodologies at the intersection of behavioural, cognitive and computational neuroscience. Successful applicants will be integrated in a diverse research team to facilitate cross-disciplinary training and collaborative working
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 3 years in the first instance.
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 Rebecca Lawson at rl337@cam.ac.uk
Closing Date: Sunday 13th October 2024 at 12 Midnight
Interviews: Late October/Early November
Please quote reference PJ43411 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.
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Please refer the Job description for details