Postdoctoral Research Associate - Psychiatry

Location: Saint Louis, MO 63110. Information on being a postdoc at WashU in St. Louis can be found at https://postdoc.wustl.edu/prospective-postdocs-2/. Postdoctoral appointments have a 5‑year term limit that includes previous experience.

About the role

The Cognitive & Perceptual Development Lab under the direction of John R. Pruett, Jr., M.D., Ph.D. at WashU Medicine seeks a Cognitive Neuroscience Postdoctoral Research Associate to work with fcMRI data acquired in large studies of brain and behavior development in infants at risk for autism. Competitive candidates will have training in systems neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, and/or developmental/experimental psychology. Familiarity with programming in Python, MATLAB, and/or C is essential.

Responsibilities

• Trains under the supervision of Dr. John Pruett.
• Performs data processing and analyses.
• Tests and generates hypotheses about brain‑behavior relationships in autism.
• Presents findings locally and nationally.
• Assists with grant preparation and reporting.
• Prepares and submits scientific papers for publication.
• May assist with supervision of undergraduate/graduate students and research technicians.
• Maintains conformity with ethical standards in research.
• Engages in open and timely discussion with mentor regarding possession or distribution of material, reagents, or records belonging to the laboratory and any proposed disclosure of findings or techniques privately or in publications.
• Collegial conduct towards co‑trainees, staff members and members of the research group.
• Adherence to all applicable University policies, procedures and regulations.
• All data, research records and materials and other intellectual property generated in University laboratories remain the property of the University.

Working conditions

• Laboratory environment with potential exposure to biological and chemical hazards.
• Must be physically able to wear protective equipment and to provide standard care to research animals.
• Dry lab / data analysis.
• MRI scanning.
• Observing behavioral assessments.

Requirements

• Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent terminal/doctoral degree.
• No specific certification or professional license required.
• No specific work experience required.
• Driver’s license not required.

Qualifications

• Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent terminal/doctoral degree in Psychology, Neuroscience, or Cognitive Science (preferred).
• No additional certifications or professional licenses required unless stated elsewhere.
• No additional work experience required unless stated elsewhere.

Skills

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Collaboration
• Data Analysis
• Developmental Psychology