The Subjectivity Lab, directed by Jorge Morales, and located in the Department of Psychology at Northeastern University is seeking to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work on-site in Boston, Massachusetts. This research position is for research on a neuroimaging (fMRI), psychophysics, modeling, and machine learning project to arbitrate among competing higher order theories of consciousness. The focus of the project is on disentangling the neural substrates of vision and mental imagery and their respective support for conscious experiences.
The project is part of a multi-site, international adversarial collaboration funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation as part of their initiative to Accelerate Research in Consciousness (see Project 6 here: https://www.templetonworldcharity.org/accelerating-research-consciousness-our-structured-adversarial-collaboration-projects). The successful candidate will have an opportunity to collaborate closely with Prof. Megan Peters and her team at UC Irvine and with Dr. Nadine Dijkstra at UCL, as well as with all the other researchers involved in the Collaboration. Dr. Peters and Dr. Dijkstra are leading researchers in the field of consciousness and mental imagery and this is an excellent opportunity to cast a wide international network for an early career researcher. Moreover, Northeastern has top research facilities and is located in the heart of Boston, a cosmopolitan city with lots of opportunities for research collaborations, quality of life and culture.
For more information about the project and for applying (just need submit a CV) you can visit https://subjectivity.sites.northeastern.edu/research/hot-project/. To read more about our lab visit https://subjectivity.sites.northeastern.edu.
The Subjectivity Lab, as well as the Department of Psychology at Northeastern, is a collaborative, positive work environment with other postdoctoral researchers, graduate students and undergraduate that create a lively, fun, and supportive environment for doing science. The successful candidate will have access to a large network of mentors and the opportunity to pursue independent projects on top of their main responsibilities. Dr. Morales takes mentoring very seriously and the candidate will have an opportunity to work closely to him and other lab members. Formal and informal professional development is a huge part of this position. We have a respectful and diverse group, and encourage candidates from historically underrepresented minorities in science to apply.
The ideal starting date is January 2024 but there is flexibility to start later during the spring. A PhD degree must be already awarded by the time the position begins. The application deadline for preferential consideration is October 31, 2023; but the position will remain open until the position is filled so please apply or email Jorge Morales for more information (j.morales@northeastern.edu).
Qualifications
Required: Must possess a Ph.D. in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Philosophy or similar disciplines at the time of appointment. Candidates should have a record of published work (including preprints). Proficiency in advanced neuroimaging (fMRI preferred) and statistical analyses as well as programing skills is required. Strong analytic skills for designing experiments and for analyzing empirical and theoretical results is required.
Preferred: Familiarity with psychophysical methods, signal detection theory and theories of consciousness is a plus but the candidate can learn more during the postdoc. An interest in studying mental imagery, perception and consciousness from neuroimaging, behavioral, and computational modeling perspectives is preferred.
Compensation will be above the NIH minimum, at ~$60,000-65,000 annual salary (depending on qualifications) and it includes benefits (e.g., medical insurance) and a modest research fund for professional development. The appointment is for 1 year to start with potential for annual reappointments for up to 2 more years.