2 Tenure-Track Faculty positions in Cognitive Science/Neuroscience at the Faculty of Psychology – University of Coimbra, Portugal 

ADDED 28/03/2023

- Co-funded by the ERA Chair project CogBooster led by Dr. Alfonso Caramazza

The Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra (FPCE-UC) Portugal invites applications from rising and aspiring leaders in Cognitive Science and Neuroscience for 2 tenure-track positions at the Assistant (1) and Associate (1) Professor level. These positions are part of a transformative ERA Chair grant CogBooster from the European Union to FPCE-UC led by Dr. Alfonso Caramazza. The goal of CogBooster is to implement a strong and international line of research in Cognitive Science/Neuroscience, so as to contribute to the ongoing renewal of the Psychological and Brain Sciences in Portugal over the next decade.

Equal Employment Opportunity statement:

The University of Coimbra is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and has a Gender Equality Plan in place. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic global community at the University. We particularly encourage applications from women, and from other under-represented groups in the University of Coimbra’s workforce and in the brain sciences.   

Positions

We seek applicants with expertise in any area of Cognitive Science/Neuroscience. The positions are tenure-track at the rank of Assistant (1) and Associate (1) Professor. The start date should be around September 1, 2023 (but potentially negotiable). Applicants for the Associate Professor position should have completed their PhD before September 2018.

Qualifications

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in a discipline relevant to Cognitive Science/Neuroscience. Successful applications should have an excellent record of research for their career level. To contribute to the mission of CogBooster and to the research and educational mission of FPCE-UC, they are expected to establish an active research program, acquire external research funds, and contribute to teaching and mentoring.

The applicant will actively engage in research, teaching, and supervision in the field of the specific positions at FPCE-UC and its affiliated research center. Applicants may use different technical and methodological approaches to address their research questions, including, but not limited to, cognitive neuropsychology and the study of brain lesions, human neuroimaging techniques (fMRI, EEG, sEEG, etc), behavioral and cognitive approaches, and computational cognitive neuroscience.

Offer:

Positions are tenure-track with a permanent contract. All positions include social security and national pension plans, medical insurance (if required by the applicant), and all legally applicable benefits under Portuguese law. Salary depends on the level of appointment.

In addition to the legally required employment conditions describe above, and has part of the ERA Chair initiative CogBooster, these positions come with a start-up package. This includes (subject to final discussion between the selected candidates and Dr. Alfonso Caramazza):

·         Funding for 1 Post-Doctoral fellow at the Portuguese pay grade for 36 months;

·         Funding for 1 Research Assistant/Doctoral student at the Portuguese pay grade for 48

·         Months;

·         Funding for 200 fMRI hours (or EEG hours, use of neurostimulation, etc.);

·         Funding for attending and presenting at national and international conferences

·         Funding for open access publications;

·         Funding for Laboratory resources (e.g., Computers);

·         Laboratory space shared with other laboratories at FPCE-UC;

·         Institutional support for applying to major European and international grants (grant reviewing by experts, interview preparation, etc).

About Portugal, Coimbra, and FPCE-UC:

Portugal’s warm and pleasant climate, rich history and culture, beautiful landscapes and beaches, affordable cost of living, and quality but affordable medical and educational systems, makes it one of the most exciting countries to live in. Moreover, Portuguese culture is incredibly family-friendly, welcoming to foreigners (English is widely spoken), and the country is one of the five safest countries in the world. Finally, it features an incredible and diverse cuisine, great wine, and a pace of life commensurate with work-life balance.

The University of Coimbra is a 700-year-old University and is a UNESCO world Heritage site. Coimbra is one of the liveliest university cities in the world, and it is a beautiful city with easy access to the beach and mountain. According to Numbeo-Cost of Living, 2500 euro in Coimbra (the net value approximate monthly salary of an Associate Professor) correspond to a local purchasing power of about 5000 euro in Paris, 5300 pounds in London (UK), 4200 euro in Rome, 4900 euro in Munich, 40200 DKK in Copenhagen, 6900 USD in Los Angeles or Washington, 7400 CAD in Toronto, 26k CNY in Beijing or Shanghai, and 8700 AUD euro in Sydney.

The Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences has been consistently ranked as the, or one of the, best Psychology Departments in Portugal. In the last decade it has become the leading department in Portugal on Psychological research, holding, for instance, the only 2 ERC grants in Psychology in Portugal. FPCE-UC has a laboratory for Cognitive Science and Cognitive Neuroscience research – the Proaction Lab. We have access to two 3T MRI scanners, to tDCS and TMS with neuronavigation, to a 256 channel EEG, and to a fully functional behavioral lab.

Further information:

The official call will be available around May here, but please send an email to Dr. Jorge Almeida (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you want be informed when the positions are open, and/or if you want to receive further information about the ERA Chair Project CogBooster. In the meanwhile, we strongly encourage potential applicants to contact Drs. Alfonso Caramazza (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Jorge Almeida (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Please send us your CV, and a short cover letter describing your interest in the position (including the general field of research, the rank/s to which you are applying).

Industry Scientist – Novoron Australia

ADDED 28/03/2023

Position Description:

Novoron Australia is a subsidiary of San Diego, California-based company, Novoron Bioscience.  Novoron is a startup biotechnology company pioneering lipoprotein-receptor drug development to repair damage and degeneration to the brain, spinal cord and beyond. We are dedicated to solving some of the most challenging neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injury and Alzheimer’s disease.

Novoron Australia is seeking a passionate and motivated full-time Scientist to support our R&D activities in collaboration with the Menzies Institute for Medical Research at the University of Tasmania.  Novoron’s approach has shown promise as a remyelination therapy to treat MS and other demyelinating diseases. The successful candidate will lead the company’s research into developing a therapeutic to treat MS in Australia.

Job Description:

Working directly with our collaborator, Professor Kaylene Young, at the Menzies Institute, you will help to drive and lead the development of our lead molecules for remyelination in MS. You will design, implement, trouble-shoot, delegate, and execute scientific R&D projects to meet timelines. Developing standard operating procedures (SOP), documenting protocols, and preparing and presenting regular project updates to Novoron’s leadership team are key components of the job. The company will train in some of the more advanced techniques that will be undertaken.

Essential Skills:

  • A Doctorate degree in neuroscience, biochemistry, or related life science field with at least 2 years postdoctoral training or the industry equivalent.
  • Experience working with animal models of disease, including performing small animal surgery.
  • Exceptional organisational and communication (written and verbal) skills.
  • Ability to follow Good Documentation Practices and accurately document experiments in a lab notebook.
  • Basic understanding of methodologies in the field of multiple sclerosis and remyelination.
  • Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, as well as work in a manner that aligns with the values of the Menzies Institute and University of Tasmania.
  • Motivation and interest to develop a career in translation of promising therapeutics.

Additional Skills of Interest:

  • Experience with models of remyelination.
  • Experience with immunohistochemistry and microscopy.
  • Experience with primary cell isolation, purification and culture.
  • Experience with bacterial cell culture, protein purification and characterisation.

Location:                       Hobart, Tasmania

Classification:              Full-time

Salary Range:              $110,000 – 130,000

To apply, please e-mail a letter addressing the selection criteria and a CV (up to 5 pages) to Brett Drummond (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by 31st March, 2023.

Research Scientist, Center for Lifespan Psychology (Director: Ulman Lindenberger), Max Planck Institute for Human Development (MPIB), Berlin, Germany

ADDED 6/12/2022

As the Principal Investigator of the Research Project, “Sequential Progression and Mechanisms of Plasticity, ” the successful candidate will be given the opportunity to lead a group with a dedicated annual budget that covers personnel needs and running costs. Candidates are expected to have conducted high-quality, cutting-edge research, and to possess a strong background in cognitive-neuroscience methods and theory.

Candidates should take a strong interest in (i) relating research on human brain plasticity to animal models; (ii) using computational models to better understand the mechanisms and dynamics of plastic change; (iii) delineating similarities and differences of plastic change within and beyond critical periods. Experience in longitudinal research designs and multivariate methodology as well as a track record in research on auditory or visual perception are desirable.

Applicants are required to hold a doctoral degree in cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience, psychology, biology, computer science, physics, or related disciplines.

The successful candidate will be part of a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary and international Center, embedded in a research environment with outstanding facilities and research infrastructure that currently includes a S-Tesla MR, EEG, VR, eye-tracking and psychophysics labs as well as access to a high-performance computing cluster. In the coming years, the newly established Max Planck Dahlem Campus of Cognition will provide additional access to a new S-Tesla MR scanner, a U-Tesla scanner, and a VR lab featuring a wave field synthesis audio system.

For more information click here.

The position is available from March 1 2023, the starting date is flexible.

Postdoctoral Fellow, The Bolding Lab, Monell Chemical Senses Center, Pennsylvania, USA

UPDATED 14/11/2022

The Bolding Lab at the Monell Chemical Senses Center is recruiting a Postdoctoral Fellow to carry out large-scale electrophysiological and optogenetic studies aimed at determining how odor recognition memories are embedded in cortical networks. We will apply quantitative statistical approaches to relate behavioral signatures of odor recognition to activity and plasticity in olfactory circuits. We will use in vivo electrophysiology and calcium imaging to capture the activity of large neural populations during olfactory experience, and we will apply cell-type specific perturbations of activity and plasticity to distinguish how specific circuit connections contribute.

The Bolding Lab is currently recruiting personnel, including technicians and postdocs.

https://monell.org/careers/

https://monell.org/kevin-bolding/