Research Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC San Diego’s Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research
The University of California, San Diego Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research is an international leader in research on the neurobiology of eating disorders and related problems. We have IOP and day treatment programs for adults, adolescents, and children with eating disorders, as well as a medical stabilization unit in conjunction with Rady Children’s Hospital. UCSD EDC’s programs are growing quickly, and we are currently accepting applications for postdoctoral fellows.
Current eating disorder treatments are of limited efficacy. New insight into neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to symptoms is supporting development of more effective interventions. The UCSD program is unique in that it has faculty and staff who focus on combining research into neurobiology with treatment development. This is an exciting opportunity for individuals to learn about brain and behavior and apply this knowledge to new treatment approaches. We also encourage applications from candidates who come from backgrounds outside of eating disorders, particularly anxiety, substance use, trauma, or pediatrics, and we have a strong preference for candidates who have experience or interest in functional neuroimaging. Many of our postdocs stay on in permanent staff or faculty positions.
Research Postdoctoral Position
Research postdoctoral fellow: to specialize in studying mechanisms underlying eating disorder symptoms and psychopathology (e.g., incentive processing, reinforcement learning, interoception). Experience and interest in neuroimaging (functional MRI, structural MRI) and neurocognitive assessment is preferred, as we have a strong neuroimaging program conducting research on the neurobiology of ED. The position will entail immersion in MR image analysis using one or more software tools, including AFNI, FSL, SPM, FreeSurfer, and R. Imaging sessions will take place at UCSD’s Center for Functional MRI, which is equipped with two research-dedicated GE 3T short-bore scanners. Experience with other experimental methodologies is also welcome. The ideal candidate would be a research-oriented person with a goal of an independent research career focused on cognition, brain functioning, and treatment development to translate research findings to improved clinical care of individuals with an eating disorder. Many of our research postdocs write training grants and transition to permanent staff or faculty positions. Appointment length is up to 2 years and is based upon the UC post-doctoral scholar salary scale. The position is available the summer of 2019, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Required qualifications
· PhD in Clinical Psychology or related area
· Experience in neurocognitive assessment preferred
· Experience in neuroimaging or similar methods preferred
· Preference for strong background and training in cognitive neuroscience and statistics
· Established track record of publications
To apply for this position, please email a cover letter, CV, and three references to Christina Wierenga, PhD (cwierenga@ucsd.edu) and Amanda Bischoff-Grethe, PhD (agrethe@ucsd.edu).