It’s at Northwestern, not McLean.

Full-Time Postdoctoral Fellowship in Infant Neuroimaging Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University, Chicago Illinois

We are seeking a full-time postdoctoral fellow for the “When to Worry” (W2W) Study, designed to identify atypical patterns and neural bases of irritability in the first years of life (12-36 mos.) (PI Lauren Wakschlag, funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health). The study will be based in the Developmental Mechanisms Program in the Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University (http://www.mss.northwestern.edu/research/developmental.html).

The study will employ intensive, state-of-the-art, multi-modal, neurodevelopmental measurement longitudinally in a sample of 350 infants, including dimensional methods, real-time irritability assessment, eye tracking, and infant MRI during natural sleep. The postdoctoral fellow will be an integral member of this scientific team and will have rich opportunities to publish throughout the study, drawing both on data from W2W, and multiple neurodevelopmental studies of irritability and its clinical import from across the laboratories of the investigative team. The fellow will also be encouraged and supported to develop supplementary studies via the NIH NRSA mechanism. The postdoctoral fellow will oversee MRI assessments and neurobehavioral assessments of emergent executive control using eye-tracking methods, under the direction of neuroscientists Maria Kharitonova and John Gilmore. The translational investigative team also includes experts in developmental psychopathology, epidemiology and longitudinal modeling (Margaret Briggs-Gowan, Amelie Petitclerc, & Ryne Estabrook)), real time assessment (Megan Roberts), and cognitive neuroscience (Ellen Leibenluft, Susan Perlman, Daniel Pine & Joel Voss).

W2W will utilize the neuroimaging facility maintained by the Department of Radiology, including two research-dedicated 3T MRI scanners (www.cti.northwestern.edu). The Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine provides an ideal training environment for postdoctoral fellows, coordinated by the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program (NUIN: www.nuin.northwestern.edu). The Northwestern University Postdoctoral Forum is an organization of postdoctoral fellows that provides additional resources for career and personal development. NU’s Innovations in Developmental Sciences (DevSci: devsci.northwestern.edu) program also provides a cross-campus network of interdisciplinary biomedical and social scientists focused on how early development shapes lifecourse health and disease.

Position requires a PhD or MD/PhD in a neuroscience-related field. The ideal candidate will have prior experience with acquisition and processing of infant neuroimaging data including scan acquisition and computer-assisted image analysis pipelines for gray and white matter analysis of infant scans. Candidates with broader pediatric neuroimaging training will also be considered. Training/experience in developmental cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychopathology and strong computational abilities are strongly preferred. Individuals with a background in infant cognition or related areas who are seeking training in developmentally sensitive neuroimaging are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will have an excellent publication record with demonstrated interest in developmental science, and will combine a collaborative orientation with the ability to function well independently.

The postdoctoral fellowship will begin as soon as possible and may extend up to five years. Applicants will be considered until the position is filled. To apply, please send a cover letter, C.V. and the names of three references to: Martha Neary, M.Sc., W2W Project Coordinator @martha.neary@northwestern.edu.