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Postdoctoral Research Associate (EXPIRED)

Robarts Research Institute , University of Western Ontario

Job category Postdoc or similar / Fixed term
AOS Empirical Philosophy of Science, Sociology of Science, Psychology of Science
AOS categories Philosophy of Science
AOC Empirical Philosophy of Science, Sociology of Science, Psychology of Science
AOC categories Philosophy of Science
Workload Full time
Vacancies 1
Location London, Ontario, Canada
Start date ASAP
Job description

A full-time postdoctoral position is available immediately to work with the Mouse Translational Research Accelerator Platform (MouseTRAP) team—with principal investigators including Philosopher of Neuroscience, Jacqueline Sullivan and Neuroscientists Lisa Saksida, Tim Bussey, Marco Prado and Vania Prado—at the Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, at The University of Western Ontario in London, ON. 

MouseTRAP is a unique platform that directly addresses the urgent and critical challenge to translate neurocognitive discovery research in mouse models toward improvements in human health.  It is centred on a touchscreen-based cognitive testing system for mice that enables flexible presentation of comprehensive test batteries involving visual stimuli at any location on a screen, as is increasingly done in human patient testing. Mice respond directly to the stimuli with their nose and positive reinforcers such as strawberry milkshake are delivered for correct choices. We have developed over 30 touchscreen tests for mice that tap into disease-relevant aspects of high-level cognition including attention, memory, executive function and motivation. MouseTRAP pairs these touchscreen-based cognitive tests with cutting-edge technologies to record or manipulate neuronal, glial or neurochemical activity, which makes it possible to match—millisecond by millisecond—what is happening in the brain with human-relevant cognitive performance. This can be done in healthy mice or in our extensive catalogue of next-generation disease models, making MouseTRAP a state-of-the-art platform for assessment of robust, reproducible and human-relevant cognitive outcomes in mouse models, for either fundamental discovery research or development of evidence-based therapeutic interventions.

The postdoctoral fellow will conduct mixed-methods qualitative research (e.g., surveys/questionnaires, semi-structured interviews) on Open Science practices surrounding MouseTRAP and the aligned first ever open-access repository for rodent translational research, MouseBytes. The repository is the first of its kind to facilitate data availability, transparency, and reproducibility within the rodent behavioral community. The successful candidate will identify barriers to Open Science practices related to use of the repository and develop strategies for eliminating them, with the aim of increasing international uptake in the repository and thereby propelling translational research forward. The successful candidate will also have excellent opportunities to interact with researchers and core facilities funded by Western’s Canada First Research Excellence Fund program in cognitive neuroscience, BrainsCAN

This position will be held at Robarts, one of the premier research institutes in Canada with a vibrant research community and many opportunities for collaborations. The University of Western Ontario (www.uwo.ca) is a major educational and research center in Ontario with over 25,000 undergraduate and 5,000 graduate students. Cognitive neuroscience in health and disease is a major research focus at Western. London, also known as the Forest City, is an affordable and lively community close to the Great Lakes and two hours from Toronto. The city offers many options for outdoor and cultural activities. 

Qualified applicants should have a PhD degree in Social Science, Psychology, or related discipline along with demonstrated expertise in mixed-methods qualitative research including qualitative interviewing and survey development.

Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.

Please direct specific inquiries about duties related to the position to Dr. Jacqueline Sullivan, [email protected]. (https://jacquelineannesullivan.com) Please send application materials directly to Dr. Nicole Gervais, [email protected]


How to apply
Application type Email
Instructions
Please send a statement of interest, Curriculum Vitae, and the names and contact information of at least two references to: Dr. Nicole Gervais, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario Email: Nicole Gervais [email protected]
Email to apply
Deadline for full consideration: December 16, 2022, 12:00am EST

(applications under review)

Hard deadline December 31, 2022, 11:59pm EST
Contact
Web address for more information https://mousetrapplatform.org
Contact name Jacqueline Sullivan
Contact email
Bookkeeping
Time created November 28, 2022, 4:43pm UTC
Scheduled expiry date December 31, 2022, 11:59pm EST
Expired on January 2, 2023, 12:46am EST
Last updated March 4, 2023, 3:00pm UTC
Last update notification
Soft application deadline extended, given that ad only appeared on November 28 due to the US Thanksgiving holiday. We will continue to review applications into the New Year.
December 1, 2022, 2:44pm UTC

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