A postdoctoral position in sensory and cognitive neuroscience is available in Dr. John P. McGann's laboratory in the Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience Section of the Psychology Department at Rutgers University. The laboratory explores how the brain uses learned information about the world to interpret, prioritize, and attend to incoming sensory stimuli. We use the mouse olfactory system as an experimental model because it permits powerful combinations of optical imaging(both high-speed wide field and 2-photon microscopy), behavioral, and electrophysiological techniques that allow us to directly observe the brain's representation of the sensory world. We are interested in learning how these neural representations change, how putatively extra-sensory brain regions influence this sensory processing (e.g. amygdala, locus coeruleus, piriform cortex), and whether these interactions are disrupted in disease states. Responsibilities will include design of experiments, data collection and analysis, preparation of results for publication, and assistance with training of other members of the laboratory.

Competitive applicants will have a PhD (or will be about to complete a PhD) in neuroscience or a related field. Experience with physiological methods and advanced data analysis techniques is preferred but not required.

The laboratory is located on the Busch (biomedical & physical sciences) campus of Rutgers University in suburban Piscataway, NJ, with easy commuting access to New York City or the Princeton area.