UNIV - Post Doctoral Scholar-Exempt - Department of Neuroscience

Medical University of South Carolina • Charleston, SC

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Neural adaptations are a hallmark of all alcohol use disorder, allowing mechanistic changes to influence alcohol-related behaviors. The neurocircuits within the thalamus, cortex, and striatum are necessary to affect reward-seeking and cognitive behaviors, but how these circuits are adapted through alcohol dependence to drive aberrant behaviors are unknown. The postdoctoral position will focus on examining these circuits in a model for the study of alcohol use disorder and the neurobiological adaptations that occur from the onset of drug use to increase maladaptive behaviors in a mouse model. Visit the Mulholland Lab website for more information: https://medicine.musc.edu/departments/neuroscience/research-scholarship/labs/mulholland

Requirements

• PhD or equivalent
• Ability to perform job functions in an upright position.
• Ability to perform job functions in a seated position.
• Ability to perform job functions while walking/mobile.
• Ability to work indoors.
• Ability to bend at the waist.
• Ability to twist at the waist.
• Ability to perform 'pinching' operations.
• Ability to fully use both hands/arms.
• Ability to perform repetitive motions with hands/wrists/elbows and shoulders.
• Ability to fully use both legs.
• Ability to reach in all directions.
• Possess good finger dexterity.
• Ability to maintain tactile sensory functions.
• Ability to maintain good olfactory sensory function.
• Ability to maintain 20/40 vision, corrected.
• Ability to see and recognize objects close at hand.
• Ability to see and recognize objects at a distance.
• Ability to match or discriminate between colors.
• Ability to determine distance/relationship between objects; depth perception.
• Good peripheral vision capabilities.
• Ability to maintain hearing acuity, with correction.
• Ability to perform gross motor functions with frequent fine motor movements.
• Ability to be qualified physically (by medical personnel) for respirator use, initially and annually.
• Computer literacy.
• Ability to learn and use new processes, tools and equipment as required.

Nice To Haves

• Ability to climb stairs.
• Ability to work in all cold temperature extremes, i.e. spot coolers.
• Ability to lift and carry 15 lbs., unassisted.
• Ability to lift objects, up to 15 lbs., from floor level to height of 72 inches, unassisted.
• Ability to lower objects, up to 15 lbs., from height of 72 inches to floor level, unassisted.
• Ability to push/pull objects, up to 15 lbs., unassisted.
• Ability to lift and carry objects up to 15 lbs. a distance of five (5) floors and to outlying buildings.
• Ability to work alone in isolated areas, such as darkrooms.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a valid drivers license.
• Ability to work rotating shifts as required.
• Ability to work overtime as required.

Responsibilities

• Conducts behavioral studies, performs intracranial implantation surgeries in mice.
• Monitors cannula placement throughout and at the end of each study.
• Manages mouse breeding colonies to maintain appropriate levels of transgenic animals as needed for rodent studies.
• Performs neural recordings in combination with mouse behavior (imaging and stimulation with optogenetic constructs).
• Performs behavioral optogenetic and chemogenetic mouse experiments.
• Mentors and trains doctoral students in a multitude of lab techniques such as calcium imaging, mouse alcohol drinking used to study reward circuitry, mouse surgical procedures, behavioral optogenetics and chemogenetics.
• Keeps accurate and detailed records of experiments and results, and identifies and troubleshoots unexpected results.
• Observes and complies with safety standards and procedures.
• Works to develop and secure research funding (writing grants).
• Prepares manuscripts on results for publication.
• Works with a broad range of collaborators to deliver research in the area of addiction neuroscience.
• Identifies opportunities for publications and research funding.
• Analyses and presents data, and prepares abstracts and manuscripts for dissemination.
• Leads and collaborates on peer-reviewed journal submissions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree