Post Doctoral Res Assoc U M - Somneuro Lab

About UMass Amherst

The flagship of the Commonwealth the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public landgrant research university that seeks to expand educational access fuel innovation and creativity and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863 UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1450acres in scenic Western Massachusetts and boasts stateoftheart facilities for teaching research scholarship and creative activity. The institution advances a diverse equitable and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valuedand thrives and offers a full range of undergraduate graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges and 100 undergraduate majors. We believe every member of our university community can contribute to our ongoing success by striving for the highest level of excellence as we seek breakthrough solutions to mounting environmental social economic and technological challenges in our world.

Job Summary

The Somneuro Lab directed by Dr. Rebecca Spencer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is seeking a fulltime postdoctoral scholar to contribute to research on sleep and memory across the lifespan. The lab investigates how sleep influences memory consolidation cognitive function and brain development or aging using behavioral assessments EEG/polysomnography and MRI. A portion of this postdocs time will be to conduct and NSFfunded study using targeted memory reactivation.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work on projects investigating the role of sleep in memory and cognition. They will have access to stateoftheart equipment and sleep research facilities and will be encouraged to pursue independent research questions using the labs rich datasets as well as contribute to and author grants.

Essential Functions

• Conduct behavioral EEG MRI and sleep physiology experiments in developmental and/or aging populations.
• Process and analyze neuroimaging and sleep data.
• Mentor and supervise graduate and undergraduate research assistants.
• Assist with study design protocol development and compliance.
• Contribute to manuscript preparation and conference presentations and provide grant proposal support.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge Skills Abilities Education Experience Certifications Licensure)

• PhD in psychology neuroscience cognitive science or a related field.
• Proficiency in statistical software (e.g. R SPSS Python or MATLAB).
• A strong record of peerreviewed publications.
• Strong communication organization and problemsolving skills.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge Skills Abilities Education Experience Certifications Licensure)

• Experience collecting and analyzing EEG data.
• Experience managing research teams or assistants.
• Strong background in cognitive neuroscience or sleep research.
• Experience with longitudinal or interventional studies.
• Knowledge of advanced neuroimaging analysis techniques particularly advanced analyses of EEG signal processing expertise and/or related analysis skills.

Work Schedule

• 40 hours per week.
• This position is fully on campus.

Salary Information

Salary is commensurate based on experience.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Along with the application please submit a resume and cover letter. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide contact information for three 3 professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis until the position is filled. Early submissions are encouraged. The start date is flexible but an initial 18month commitment is preferred with the possibility of renewal based on performance and funding. Questions on the position can be addressed to Dr. Rebecca Spencer at

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