Recruit

A postdoctoral position is available at the University of California, Merced to study the encoding of experience in the brain driven by the widely abused drug alcohol. Our goal is to discover the neural circuitry and the molecular encoding mechanisms for acute and chronic alcohol exposure using Drosophila as a research organism, with a focus on molecules and mechanisms conserved to humans. Our long-term goal is to understand how early alcohol experience can increase the risk for the development of alcohol use disorder. Recent publications from us on alcohol experience encoding include https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.1348-22.2023 and https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.01.30.526363. The successful candidate will be part of a team of postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate students devoted to understanding alcohol encoding mechanisms, and a lab that is devoted to understanding the neural coding of motivation and its interactions with addiction. Techniques will include Drosophila genetics and optogenetics, animal behavioral experiments, molecular biology and basic biochemistry, immunohistochemistry, connectomics, and basic coding in python and R.

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Policy: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/5000695/SARS-CoV-2_Covid-19. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of Full Vaccination or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, and/or Religious Objection) or Deferral (based on pregnancy) no later than the applicable deadline. New University of California employees should refer to Appendix F, Section II.C. of the policy for applicable deadlines. (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and invites applications from all qualified applicants, including women, minorities, veterans, and individual with disabilities, who will enrich the teaching, research and public service missions of the university. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy, see: UC Nondiscrimination & Affirmative Action Policy (https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/DiscHarassAffirmAction).

The University of California, Merced, is the newest of the University of California system’s 10 campuses. With over 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students (https://www.ucmerced.edu/fast-facts), UC Merced provides outstanding educational opportunities to highly qualified students from the heart of California, the nation, and abroad. The campus has special connections to nearby Yosemite National Park; is on the cutting edge of sustainability in construction and design; and supports the economic development of Central California. The Merced 2020 Project doubled the physical capacity of the campus, and enhanced academic distinction, student success, and research excellence (https://merced2020.ucmerced.edu/).

UC Merced is a smoke & tobacco free campus (https://smokefree.ucmerced.edu/).