Careers at the ENIGMA Imaging Genetics Center, Marina del Rey, California

Check back for openings at the Imaging Genetics Center.  

Careers with ENIGMA collaborators

Postdoctoral position in early onset adolescent psychosis study

At the NORMENT – K.G. Jebsen Research Centre for Psychosis Research, a Centre of Excellence, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway, there is a position available as a postdoctoral student funded by the Research Council of Norway. The research area is psychiatric neuroimaging with focus on analysis of structural and functional, DTI and ASL MR imaging datasets with regard to developmental trajectories and genetic, environmental and phenotypic variation. Applicants should have a doctoral degree (PhD) in neuroimaging, computer science, bioinformatics, psychiatry, psychology or equivalent. Applicants who have handed in their dissertation for evaluation are also encouraged to apply, caveat the dissertation is approved. Application deadline is December 4th, 2016. For further information and to submit an application please see the University of Oslo’s website.

PhD position available at Orygen

We have a PhD position available at Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health in Melbourne, Australia. The project focuses on neurobiological correlates underlying variation in disease profile and disease course of mood disorders in young people, using computational modeling and advanced statistical methods. We have a fully-funded PhD scholarship available for a student with a strong interest in neuroscience and mental health, with good statistical and programming skills. Please see advertisement for more information: Orygen Optymise PhD scholarship position

Genetics and Neuroimaging in Barcelona (Spain)

The Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Centre (BBRC), research institution of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation (PMF) and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) invites applications for a full-time research position to study the genetic modulation of cerebral phenotypes based on genome-wide associations with neuroimaging data, as part of its clinical research program. The primary responsibility of this position includes the analysis and interpretation of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data in association with quantitative phenotypes extracted from neuroimaging modalities. The candidate will be working under the guidance of the Principal Investigators Roderic Guigó and Stephan Ossowski of the CRG and the Neuroimaging Group Principal Investigator of the BBRC, Juan-Domingo Gispert. The aim of this project is to improve our understanding of genetic modulation of cerebral phenotypes in healthy subjects and to identify spatially varying patterns of genetic control that may not be evident from summary variables. For additional details please visit: https://fpmaragall.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Postdoc_CRG_BBRC_Oct2016.pdf Deadline: Please submit your application by November 18th, 2016.

Big Data 2 Knowledge Resting-State Connectivity Research Fellowship Position – University of Maryland

The Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC) invites applications for a post-doctoral position for imaging research in the area of multi-site functional connectivity analyses. MPRC, which is a part of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, is an internationally renowned center for schizophrenia research. This position is funded by the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis Consortium (ENIGMA), Big Data 2 Knowledge and Human Connectome Project (HCP) collaborations. The primary focus of this position is technical development of data homogenization and normalization approaches for multi-site resting state connectivity, followed by large-scale data analysis. We seek a candidate with a PhD or MD, with training in fMRI and strong programming and signal processing skills. Experience in resting state MRI and connectomic analyses are favorably considered. The MPRC imaging center is equipped with 3T Siemens TIM Trio scanner with 32 channel headcoil. Computational power is provided by a hybrid CPU/GPU cluster. A clinic for first episode psychosis is also located within the program. There are strong faculty representation on MR physics, MRS, DTI, fMRI, ASL, neural network modeling, and EEG, TMS, and neurophysiology areas. MPRC is the collection site for Amish Connectome in Mental Diseases Project. This position is only available to US citizens, permanent residents and international scholars. Interested applicants should send curriculum vitae with a brief statement to Peter Kochunov, PhD (pkochunov@gmail.com) or Elliot Hong, MD (ehong@mprc.umaryland.edu). For more information about our center (Center for Brain Imaging Research), please visit our website at www.mdbrain.org.

Postdoc and PhD positions in Heibelberg

The Section for Experimental Psychopathology and Neuroimaging (Head: Prof. Dr. Oliver Gruber) at the Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg invites applications for post-doc and PhD positions.

Postdoctoral Scholar in Neuroimaging of Epilepsy and Brain Tumors

Location: UCSD Multimodal Imaging Laboratory (MMIL), UCSD Center for Translational Imaging and Precision Medicine (CTIPM) Start date: Flexible, but no later than January 2016   Seeking a full-time postdoctoral scholar to work with a multidisciplinary team of scientists on projects related to the use of multimodal imaging for improving cognitive and health outcomes in patients with epilepsy and primary brain tumors.   Our multimodal imaging team includes full-time faculty from Psychiatry, Radiology, Neurosciences, and Radiation Oncology.   This group of researchers and clinical investigators are primarily focused on integrating research imaging tools into the clinical work flow to directly and immediately improve patient outcomes.   The scholar will work closely with other postdoctoral fellows, medical residents, graduate students, research assistants, and faculty members to help develop methods, analyze structural, diffusion, and functional (fMRI) imaging data, prepare manuscripts and assist with grant applications.   The fellow should have strong programming (i.e., MATLAB) and writing skills, experience in neuroimaging or a related field, and a strong interest in pursing an academic career path. Applicants with a strong background in bioengineering, cognitive science, and/or experience working with neurological populations are encouraged to apply.   Please send application to Dr. Carrie McDonald (camcdonald@ucsd.edu).

PhD Position at VU University, Amsterdam

The Neuroimaging research group (www.neuromri.nl) in the Brain Center Rudolf Magnus at the Division of Neuroscience of the University Medical Center Utrecht has a PhD position available within the CID programme to work on the developing brain during adolescence.

The Consortium on Individual Development (CID) aims to build a comprehensive model of how developmental differences between children arise as a result of the interplay of child characteristics and environmental factors, by filling crucial knowledge gaps on the role of brain development, effects of interventions in the environment, and intergenerational transmission. One branch of this project focuses on longitudinal changes in brain structure and the way these changes relate to genetic and environmental factors, and how this brain development in turn mediates behavioral development. This PhD project is a collaboration between the Brain Center Rudolf Magnus (Hulshoff Pol) with and the Netherlands Twin Register (Boomsma), Free VU University, Amsterdam. The project will consist of studying the influence of genetics genetics on brain development using a genetically informative longitudinal twin/sibling cohort.

Organization: The mission of the Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience is to advance knowledge of the functions of the nervous system in order to obtain insight into brain development and plasticity in relation to neurological and psychiatric disorders, and to facilitate the development of new pharmacological treatments for these disorders. The Division of Neuroscience employs about 1000 healthcare professionals and scientists. About 300 staff members within the Division are actively involved in scientific research. The PhD position will be based in the Neuroimaging group of the Psychiatry Department of the UMC Utrecht, which studies structural and functional brain maturation in humans throughout life, in health and diseases such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, ADHD, and autism. Our research is designed to find genetic and environmental markers of variance in brain structure and function over time. We aim to unravel (patho)-physiology of brain plasticity of human brain throughout life.

Project: Through a focused analysis of sibling- and twin-pairs, environmental and genetic influences on the brain will be disentangled. The association between the DNA genome and longitudinal brain development will be investigated through for measures of structural MRI, resting state functional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging. Findings from this study will not only provide insight in normal brain development during adolescence, but also aid the study into psychiatric diseases that often show their first symptoms during adolescence, such as schizophrenia and depression.

Requirements: The candidate for the PhD position has a Masters research MA degree (or equivalent) in biology, biomedical sciences, genetics or computational biology or a related field and should have excellent skills in working with high-dimensional data. The candidate combines excellent social skills with a high potential to perform complex data analyses, e.g. using structural equation modeling to analyze familial resemblance, and good writing skills. The candidate preferably has experience with analysis of genetic data and/or analysis MRI data.

Additional information and application: Additional information can be obtained from Dr. Rachel Brouwer (r.m.brouwer-4@umcutrecht.nl; +31 88 7556019), Prof.dr. Hilleke Hulshoff Pol (h.e.hulshoff@umcutrecht.nl; +31 88 755 9019) and Prof.dr. Dorret Boomsma (di.boomsma@vu.nl). Application letters and curriculum vitae can be addressed to Dr. Rachel Brouwer, via https://www.werkenbijumcutrecht.nl/vacatures/Paginas/phd-student%20(2015-0225).aspx#.VTdiSaa70fE.

Research Fellowship at Max Planck Institute

The Max Planck Institute (Nijmegen, the Netherlands) is offering a 3-year Research Scientist position in Brain Imaging Genetics. The position is funded by a European FLAG-ERA grant linked to the Human Brain Project: “MULTI-LATERAL: Multi-level Integrative Analysis of Brain Lateralization for Language”, coordinating PI Clyde Francks. Further information is available here:

http://www.mpi.nl/news/mpi-researchers-will-join-human-brain-project

Language depends on left-lateralized neural circuits in the brains of most people, and the host research group is embedded within the Language & Genetics Department of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The MPI in Nijmegen is a leading research institute internationally, with a very stimulating environment, excellent facilities and resources. We use state-of-the-art methods to trace the connections between genes, neuronal and brain functions, and behavior. We benefit from close connections with expert teams in neuroscience and brain imaging at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, and in human genetics at the Human Genetics Department of Radboud University.

We are seeking a research scientist who holds, or shortly expects to obtain, a PhD qualification in a field related to brain imaging genetics. The successful applicant’s previous training and experience may be in either brain MRI data analysis, or in genomic analysis such as genome-wide association, next generation sequencing, or transcriptomic analysis. The project will involve applying new methods of automated MRI analysis to measure individual differences in brain lateralization, in terms of structure, resting state and task-related activation, and linking these measures to genetic variability in large cohort datasets. Candidates should also be keen to learn and involve themselves in the ongoing research of the department more generally, which is focused on genetics of the neuron, brain, behavior and cognition.

The position is available from January 2016 although start dates as late as May 2016 will be considered. The term of appointment is for three years, with a salary according to the German TVöD. The Institute is part of the Max Planck Society (Germany), albeit that it is located in the Netherlands. Scientists in the Netherlands report among the highest job satisfaction ratings of any in the world.  The Max Planck Society is an equal opportunity employer. Applications from women, people with disabilities and under-represented groups are particularly encouraged.

Applications should include:

(i)    A statement of interest in the position

(ii)   a CV;

(iii)  a list of publications;

(iv)  the names, email addresses and contact numbers of at least two referees who would be willing to provide letters of recommendation;

Send applications or enquiries to:

e-mail:  clyde.francks@mpi.nl

mail:    Clyde Francks D.Phil.

            Senior Investigator

            Language & Genetics Department

           Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics

           Wundtlaan 1

           6525 XD Nijmegen

          The Netherlands

Applications will be considered on an on-going basis until the position is filled.