Postdoctoral position in cognitive neuroscience of memory Lund University, Faculty of Social Sciences , The Department of Psychology Sweden

Lunds university

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top 100 universities. The University has 40 000 students and 7 400 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

The Faculty of Social Sciences at Lund University is one of the leading education and research institutions in Sweden and operates both in Lund and Helsingborg. 

The Department of Psychology combines education with research and has in recent years been very successful in the competition for external research funds. Central research areas include occupational and organizational psychology, clinical psychology, cognition, neuropsychology, personality and social psychology and developmental psychology. 

Many of our courses are developed in connection with research projects, and students are given the opportunity to gain access to current research findings from teachers who themselves are active researchers in their respective areas. Our education environment has long been highly internationalized.

Job description
We are inviting applications for a two-year fulltime postdoctoral position within the research project “Learning and remembering: The cognitive neuroscience of memory for real-world events” funded by the Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation, and led by PI: Professor Mikael Johansson at theDepartment of Psychology, Lund University, and Co-PI: Professor Anthony D. Wagner, at the Department of Psychology, Stanford University.

The research project will leverage a cross-disciplinary approach—utilizing the latest advances in digital media and state-of-the-art techniques for analyzing functional brain activity (functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI, and electroencephalography, EEG)—to examine how the mind and brain enable learning and remembering in real-world settings.

The position is designed for a skilled and productive researcher with a PhD in psychology, neuroscience, or a related field, with a strong interest in memory and its neurocognitive basis. The research will be conducted at Lund University with access to excellent research facilities for brain imaging, and techniques such as virtual reality and eye-tracking. The postdoctoral fellow will be involved in designing, implementing and conducting experiments; analyzing data; preparing and presenting reports of research results; and assisting and supervising the work of other project members.

Qualification requirements
Eligibility for employment as a postdoctoral researcher is restricted to applicants with a PhD degree in a relevant subject. Priority is given to applicants who have completed their PhD less than three years prior to the deadline for applying to the post.

Assessment criteria and other qualifications
Assessment of the applicants will primarily be based on their research qualifications and potential as researchers. Particular emphasis will be placed on research skills of relevance to the project. Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, motivation and independence, and how the applicant’s experience and skills complement and strengthen ongoing research within the research group.

The successful applicant has:
• Track record of publishing high-quality academic papers
• Very good oral and written proficiency in English
• Experience with memory research or related research topics
• Expertise in cognitive neuroscience methods, preferably electrophysiological brain imaging techniques (EEG/ERP)
• Experience with multivariate analysis methods; multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA),representational similarity analysis (RSA)
• Strong programming skills (e.g. Matlab, Python)
• Experience with software for implementation of experiments (e.g. E-prime, Psychtoolbox) and data analysis (e.g. Fieldtrip)

Experience with eye-tracking and virtual reality methods will be of an advantage.

Terms of employment
The position involves full-time employment for a maximum of two years. Start date by agreement.

Application
The Lund University job application portal should be used when applying. Applications will be reviewed starting immediately and continue until the position is filled. Your application must contain: a cover letter (describing why you are interested in the position and what makes you suitable for it), a CV (including information on degrees, completed courses, work experience, and publications) and two letters of recommendation.