Postdoctoral Associate

Postdoc position at University of Miami - spontaneous thoughts, AI, computational psychiatry

The Lab led by Mingbo Cai (https://cailab-miami.org/) at the Department of Psychology, University of Miami, seeks a talented cognitive neuroscientist to join the lab as a postdoctoral associate. The primary focus of this position is to work on an exciting collaborative project of decoding spontaneous thoughts. However, candidates with strong background and interest in other major directions of the lab are also welcome to apply. For the project on spontaneous thoughts, the candidate will work closely with Dr. Mingbo Cai, the director of the lab, and have opportunity to collaborate with Nicolas Schuck (https://schucklab.gitlab.io/) at University of Hamburg and Quentin Huys (https://www.mps-ucl-centre.mpg.de/person/104585) at University College London, with the added possibility of establishing new collaboration with other faculty inside the department (https://www.psy.miami.edu/people/faculty/faculty-by-division/index.html).

The intended project focuses on understanding the contents and dynamics of spontaneous thoughts using fMRI decoding and natural tasks, and abnormality of them in mental disorders. Your work will mainly involve analyzing a previous fMRI dataset of healthy and clinical participants experiencing spontaneous thoughts, and conducting new experiments. Expertise and track record in at least one of the following domains are highly desirable: deep learning models on natural language processing or computer vision, advanced analysis of fMRI using encoding or decoding models, computational modeling of spontaneous thoughts or psychiatric disorders or human behavior, design of experiments using naturalistic stimuli.

The initial contract is one year, with the possibility of extending to two years or longer depending on performance and funding.

The Department of Psychology is undergoing a major expansion of the direction of cognitive and behavioral neuroscience with an outlook of bringing in new faculty members with strong computational backgrounds and forming potential collaboration. The neuroimaging building where the lab is located is equipped with a state-of-the-art Siemens 3T Vida MRI scanner.

Deadline for applications: August 31, 2024. Strong applications will be evaluated immediately upon receiving. The position will remain open until filled.

Please submit the following documents:

• a cover letter including contact information for 2-3 reference letters
• CV
• research statement
• writing sample representing your works. Multiple manuscripts may be concatenated into one pdf. 

CORE JOB FUNCTIONS                                                                                                    

• Analyze neural imaging data during spontaneous thoughts.
• Design brain-imaging experiments and collect data from healthy and clinical populations
• Prepare research reports and technical papers for publishing.
• Maintain substantial knowledge of state-of-the-art principles and theories in the domains relevant to the research project.
• Assist the principal investigator in preparing grant proposals and mentoring graduate student on an occasional basis.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities as necessary.

Minimum Qualifications                                                                                            

Education:

Ph.D. (or M.D.) in neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, computer science, machine learning, electric engineering or other relevant fields.

Experience:

Prior experience in conducting fMRI experiments and/or analyzing data using computational models is highly preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes: (strong skills in some areas can compensate for the lacking of other skills)

• Skill in collecting, organizing, and analyzing human behavioral and/or brain imaging data.
• Ability to recognize, analyze, and logically solve a variety of problems.
• Good programming skill using Python or a similar programming language
• Familiarity with at least one deep learning framework such as Pytorch or Tensorflow
• Good English communication skills (academic writing and oral communication)
• Expertise and track record in at least one of the following domains: deep learning models on natural language processing or computer vision, advanced analysis of fMRI using encoding or decoding models, computational modeling of spontaneous thoughts or mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders, design of experiments using naturalistic stimuli.
• Willing to collaborate and help colleagues.