DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Palo Alto WRIISC Special Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Advanced Neuroimaging
The Office of Academic Affiliations, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is now accepting applications for a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program in advanced neuroimaging with an emphasis on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cognitive impairment and chronic pain. The Fellowship can begin between January 1st and August 31st, 2017. This is a joint fellowship between VA Palo Alto War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. The VAPA-WRIISC-SFP site is linked to the two other WRIISC fellowship sites (Washington, DC, East Orange, NJ) as well as the VA Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) fellowship program (based at Palo Alto) for didactic, academic, and research efforts. The Palo Alto WRIISC specializes in integrating anatomical/functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to improve the diagnostic/prognostic value of neuroimaging in the clinical setting. The fellowship provides a unique opportunity to (a) receive training in Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and amyloid imaging from a team of experienced neuroimagers and (b) relate neuroimaging findings to clinical cases in consensus conferences with our team of neurologists, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists & psychologists. We are interested in the relationship between TBI/PTSD and a potentially increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and have recently received funding to explore this question using amyloid PET imaging. Our team of investigators is also part of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). There are additional opportunities to explore projects in psychology and dementia with WRIISC, MIRECC, and Stanford faculty. In collaboration with their mentors, fellows will develop and conduct a research project, publish and present findings, participate in grant writing, and utilize the latest technologies for research (5 MRI scanners including a brand new PET-MR unit).
Applicants must be US citizens. The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience, computer science, psychology, or a related discipline. Prior experience in neuroimaging is essential. Experience with Linux, MATLAB, SPM8/12, FreeSurfer v5.3.0 & FSL v5.0 is highly desirable and programming skills would be a big plus.
A. To be eligible to apply for the WRIISC Fellowship Program you must hold a PhD in one of the above described disciplines and be able to provide evidence of U.S. citizenship.
B. Applications must be received by December 1st, 2016. Applicants must submit: a) a letter confirming they can fulfill the eligibility requirements; b) a personal statement describing their interest in the Fellowship; c) 3 letters of recommendation; and d) a current curriculum vitae. These materials can be submitted directly to the PhD Fellowship Program Director: Ansgar Furst, PhD at ansgar.furst@va.gov.
C. If the applicant is identified as the candidate of choice for this site, they will be required to produce all documents listed in the above section A and the following additional documents:
Transcripts from all educational institutions VA Form 10-2850d, “Application for Health Professions Trainees.”
For more information, please contact Ansgar Furst, PhD at the WRIISC Palo Alto Fellowship site, (650) 493-5000, "1", "1" then x68652 or ansgar.furst@va.gov.
See also: http://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/