Connectionists: Fwd: Doctoral position in multimodal neuroimaging of decision making and memory

[Travis Baker]

PhD Studentships available

*Deadline: December 15th, 2016*


The Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience (CMBN) at Rutgers
University – Newark is inviting students to apply to its *Behavioral and
Neural Sciences *Graduate Program for the 2017 admissions cycle.


A fully-funded doctoral position is available in the laboratory of Dr.
Travis Baker based at the Center for Molecular and Behavioural Neuroscience
(CMBN), Rutgers University, http://cmbn.rutgers.edu . CMBN is located in
Newark NJ, a short commute from New York City. The laboratory of Dr. Baker
employs multimodal neuroimaging techniques (e.g. EEG, ERPs, fMRI, diffusion
MRI,  and transcranial magnetic stimulation), involving both typical and
atypical populations, to characterize the spatiotemporal dynamics and the
computational principles underlying reinforcement learning, cognitive
control, and spatial navigation, as mediated by a network of brain systems
including anterior cingulate cortex, the midbrain dopamine system, the
basal ganglia, and parahippocampal cortex. The clinical goal of the
laboratory is to understand how these functions are disrupted in
psychiatric populations (e.g. addictions, affective disorders,
neurodegenerative disorders), and to identify image-based biomarkers (e.g.
EEG/ERPs, fMRI) and neurostimulation procedures aimed to alleviate their
cognitive and behavioral impairments.


This position offers an excellent opportunity to develop research expertise
in a new state-of-the art neuroimaging and neurostimulation laboratory
which houses an Adept Viper s850 robotic arm used for robot-assisted
image-guided repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (Ri-rTMS), two
parallel systems for recording EEG/ERPs, an eyetracking and virtual reality
system, and has the capabilities of recording and analyzing simultaneous
EEG and fMRI, and simultaneous EEG and Ri-rTMS. CMBN benefits from on-site
access to Rutgers University Brain Imaging Center, a research-dedicated
facility equipped with a 3T fMRI scanner (Siemens TRIO) for imaging both
humans and animals (http://rubic.rutgers.edu
<http://rubic.rutgers.edu/index.php>). For those with an interest in
working with clinical populations, we have superb cooperation with our
medical school faculty in neurology, psychiatry, and neurosurgery, as well
as collaborations with several medical centers in nearby New York City.


Candidates must have an undergraduate degree (or Masters) in neuroscience,
psychology, cognitive science or in a related discipline. The successful
candidate will show evidence of research productivity in the form of
peer-reviewed publications and conference proceedings, have excellent
quantitative skills, and demonstrate effective oral and written
communication skills. Recording and analysis experience with EEG/ERP (e.g.,
Brainvision, EEG/ERPLAB), MRI (e.g., FSL, SPM), as well as experience with
stimulus presentation programs (e.g., E-prime, PsychoPy, Psychtoolbox), and
statistical analysis (e.g., MATLAB, R, SPSS), is advantageous. Proficiency
in MATLAB and computational modeling is highly desirable. The position is
fully-funded (plus medical benefits, 4 weeks vacation, tuition remission,
and yearly travel funds) for a period of 5 years.


Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr. Travis Baker at
travis.e.baker at rutgers.edu no later than December 1st, 2016 and should
include the following: 1) cover letter summarizing research interests and
qualifications for the position, 2) a curriculum vita, and 3) the names of
two references who may be contacted. Further details about Dr. Baker’s
research interests can be found at www.travisedwardbaker.com. Rutgers
University is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
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