SEARCH JOBS

GW has everything you need to succeed in discovery. Outstanding research, state-of-the-art facilities and world-class faculty support discovery and innovative solutions. Researchers and faculty across campus advance interdisciplinary and emerging research and scholarship. Our active GW Postdoctoral Association welcomes your engagement in social and professional activities as you join our research teams. Research guides, coding and data management solutions as well as extensive online journals from GW Libraries help to guide your study. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) supports the research infrastructure and facilitates several institutional research initiatives.

In the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, this role will:

Lead a project focusing on stress-induced, circuit-specific regulation of synaptic plasticity in the brain’s affective circuitry. The research scientist will be expected to plan and perform experiments to advance this project, to analyze and interpret data, mentor undergraduate and graduate students, to write grant and fellowship proposals and to prepare manuscripts for publication.

The Polter lab is focused on the effects of stressful and adverse experiences on the brain, and the role of these neuroadaptations in illnesses such as mood and substance use disorders. The lab uses slice electrophysiology, rodent behavioral assays, and cutting-edge neuroscience techniques to investigate synaptic and cellular mechanisms of stress-induced alterations in the brain’s reward and affective circuitry. For more information, please see: www.polterlab.org

Postdocs will design, organize and conduct specialized and advanced experiments using established scientific protocols, troubleshoot and design new protocols, summarize findings and publish results in research journals, under the general supervision of a faculty member. In some cases, postdocs will assume general responsibility for general scientific operations in the lab, and/or provide supervision and guidance to laboratory staff, trainees and other researchers.

A Postdoctoral Associate:

● holds a PhD or equivalent degree;

● develops skills by participating in scholarly projects that are actively mentored by a member of the university faculty;

● receives financial support in the form of a salary that is typically funded by grants, contracts or departmental funds secured by a faculty mentor; and

● has a limited term of up to five years at GW.

In collaboration with experienced researchers, this role will participate in the planning and conduction of discovery research, data analysis and interpretation, preparation of materials for publication, presentations at conferences and meetings, and may develop new theories and methodologies. This role can expect timely advice as to research directions and career planning for a future independent career.

Performs other related duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position.

Special Instructions to the Applicant:

Appointments are limited-term and are designed for those who have recently received a doctorate. Appointments are made to academic departments with the approval of the department head and may require senior officer approval. Appointments are usually for not less than one term and are normally not renewed beyond a total of five years. This appointment is not intended for long-term, indefinite, or career appointments.

Qualified candidates will hold a Doctoral degree or comparable doctoral degree in a related discipline. Degree must be conferred by the start date of the position.

We seek an individual with a PhD in neuroscience or a related field and at least three years postdoctoral experience.

Strong written and oral communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team.

Prior experience with optogenetics, chemogenetics, and/or in vitro slice physiology is preferred.

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