The Penn Memory Center (PMC; http://pennmemorycenter.org) and Penn Computing and Science Laboratory (PICSL; http://picsl.upenn.edu) is seeking candidates for a Postdoctoral Fellow position to study structural and functional alterations of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) associated with aging and preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease. The Postdoctoral Fellow will support NIH-funded collaborative projects of Drs. David Wolk and Paul Yushkevich, utilizing and developing advanced morphometric image analysis methods with a focus on MTL subregions. We are interested in the interaction and consequences of normal aging, vascular disease, and molecular markers of Alzheimer’s Disease on MTL structure and function. Multimodal imaging, including 3T/7T MRI, fMRI, Amyloid PET, and Tau PET will be employed along with experimental memory measures. The successful candidate will have completed a PhD in neuroscience, psychology, biomedical engineering, or an equivalent field, have proven technical ability in image analysis, and a demonstrated publication record. Background knowledge in memory, cognitive neuroscience of aging/Alzheimers Disease, MTL segmentation, scripting languages, and behavioral statistical analyses are highly desirable. The Postdoctoral Fellow will have opportunities for first-author papers in competitive conferences and/or leading journals in their respective fields. Primary responsibilities in this position include the analysis, interpretation, and scientific presentation of structural and functional MRI and behavioral data related to ongoing projects of MTL subregional structure and function.
The University of Pennsylvania is a leading center in human brain imaging and neurodegeneration, with access to advanced MRI and PET imaging. The PMC is home to the Clinical Core of the NIH-funded Penn Alzheimer’s Disease Core Center of which Dr. Wolk is Associate-Director. PICSL is a dynamic and growing group in the Department of Radiology that is involved in many exciting biomedical imaging projects, including multi-modality neuroimaging, animal imaging, geometric and statistical modeling of imaging data, diffeomorphic registration and multi atlas segmentation. We are particularly well known for our open-source research software, such as ITK-SNAP and ANTS. The Wolk and Yushkevich laboratories moved to newly renovated space in the Richards/Goddard ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richards_Medical_Research_Laboratories) building, a designated National Historic Landmark designed by the renowned architect Louis Kahn. Virtually all neuroimaging and brain function research groups at Penn are housed in this complex, including the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN; http://ccn.upenn.edu). Although the Penn campus is already very compact, consolidating the many faculty members involved in neuroimaging facilitates broader participation in projects, seminars, workshops, and interdisciplinary training, and will provide an outstanding environment for trainees to interact with faculty and with each other.
The University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, a vibrant city that offers many professional and cultural opportunities. The campus is in walking distance from the city center, which has experienced enormous growth and transformation in the last two decades. Philadelphia is famous for its history, independent arts, music, and theatre, and a rich food scene. It is one of the few major cities in the United States that is affordable for academic trainees, both in urban and suburban settings. The Philadelphia region has an excellent public transportation system that connects many distinctive urban and suburban communities. Some of the best schools in the state are located in the Philadelphia region. New York City, Washington DC, New Jersey beaches and Pocono Mountains are within 2-3 hours by car, bus, or train.
The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women and minority candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Informal inquiries can be directed to David Wolk (david.wolk@uphs.upenn.edu)