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Assistant or Associate Project Scientist - Ranganath Lab

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Position description

Dr. Charan Ranganath, Professor at the Center for Neuroscience, at the University of California, Davis seeks to fill a 2-year, full-time position as an Assistant or Associate Project Scientist starting in Spring 2022. The successful candidate will work on research projects in the laboratory focused on naturalistic memory acquisition, retrieval, and consolidation using a combination of computational modeling, neuroimaging, and behavioral approaches. The ideal candidate will have research experience focused on the functions of the hippocampus formation, neural models of spatial cognition, episodic memory, and be able to develop theoretical modeling of the neural and behavioral data.

The successful candidate will be responsible for:
I. RESEARCH (85%)
Research activity (60%)
The position requires leading a research group and determining research goals for a project exploring the neural mechanisms underlying naturalistic memory acquisition, using spatial cognition as a probe for the establishment of memories in the medial temporal lobe and neocortex. In collaboration with the Principal Investigator, the candidate will design specific experiments, including the selection of appropriate methods and techniques, perform data analyses, interpret results, and co-author research articles. The candidate is required to be skilled in advanced statistical analyses and signal processing. The successful candidate will work on multiple projects in parallel. The candidate will also advise students and junior specialists concerning method development and implementation, interpretation of results, and help plan follow-up experiments.

Publication (15%)
The candidate will publish research results in peer-reviewed journals, books and other outlets either independently or in collaboration with the Pl or other members of the research team.

Grant Acquisition (10%)
The candidate will collaborate with the Pl in designing and writing proposals for funding from agencies such as NIH and NSF. This role also includes preparation of progress reports for funding agencies.

II. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ACTIVITY (10%)
The candidate will participate in professional societies and conferences appropriate to his/her specific field and will serve as a reviewer of research proposals and scientific publications as appropriate. The candidate will attend conferences and seminars to present research results and may give oral presentations to public and professional interest groups.

Ill. UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE (5%)
The candidate may engage in public outreach activities that include presenting scientific research results to the general public and providing relevant advice to individuals and public agencies when the opportunities arise. The candidate will engage in University service activities such as guest lecturing and training/advising undergraduate volunteers on research projects in the PI’s laboratory. Teaching classroom courses is not an expectation of this position.

This posting will remain open until November 22, 2021. To apply, please go to the following link: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/apply/JPF04557

Applicants should submit a cover letter of interest describing relevant skills, a diversity statement, and a resume. Documents/materials must be submitted as PDF files. Applicants should also provide contact information for 2-3 references.

Questions: Please direct questions to: ycpersonnel@ucdavis.edu

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

• Ph.D. degree in Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, or related field with a minimum of 3 years’ experience as a postdoctoral researcher.
• The candidate is required to have experience in development of cognitive paradigms in the field of human learning and memory.

• Advanced skills in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collection and especially multivariate pattern-based analysis methods, including pattern classification and representational similarity analyses.
• Significant experience in programming (MATLAB and Python are preferred) and mathematical modeling
• Experience in writing manuscripts for publications
• Experience in grant proposal preparation
• Experience in creating scientific illustrations for publications
• Proof of skill set through peer-reviewed publications

Preferred qualifications (other preferred, but not required, qualifications for the position)

• Experience training graduate and undergraduate students in research methods
• Extensive experience directly supervising a laboratory team
• Demonstrated success in securing external funding
• Experience in research on patient populations

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Cover Letter

  • Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion documented in the application file will be used to evaluate applicants. Visit https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/faculty-equity-and-inclusion for guidelines about writing a statement and why one is requested.

Reference requirements
  • 2-3 required (contact information only)
Apply link: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF04557

Help contact: ycpersonnel@ucdavis.edu

About UC Davis

UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus (http://breathefree.ucdavis.edu/).

We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals’ with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available at: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to inclusive excellence by advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do. UC Davis celebrates the multi-cultural diversity of its community by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment demonstrated through a variety of resources and programs available to academics, staff, and students. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values of UC Davis that are embedded within our Principles of Community and are tied with how to best serve our student population. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can best be fully realized by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values, which are included in our Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision, our strategic plan: “To Boldly Go,” our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs’ Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400: Policy on University of California Diversity Statement. UC Davis is making important progress towards our goal of achieving federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offers a plethora of resources on their website, and the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) has outlined similar goals in their Anti-Racism and DEI Action Plan.” There are a plethora of links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our Administration, Diversity and Inclusion, Rankings, Locations, Native American Land Acknowledgement, Sustainability, Visiting UC Davis, UC Davis Health, and Campus Safety.

The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings. UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

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