Postdoctoral Fellow

!!Postdoc opportunity!!

Who are we? The Cummings lab is searching for a postdoctoral fellow who is passionate about investigating how the brain encodes and expresses memory, and how these processes are shaped by different experiences. Our lab broadly studies the prefrontal circuit mechanisms of both fear and reward memory, with a particular focus on these processes in inhibitory GABAergic interneuron ‘engrams.’ We study these circuits both in the context of both adaptive (normal fear and reward) and maladaptive (PTSD; opioid drug-seeking) experiences. Towards these goals, we use a variety of approaches including histological, in vivo calcium imaging, in vivo optogenetics and chemogenetics, activity-dependent neural tagging, brain slice electrophysiology, and single-nucleus transcriptomics in transgenic mice.

Who are we looking for? The postdoctoral fellow will work as part of a team to study how prefrontal GABAergic circuits govern sucrose and intravenous heroin seeking. The ideal candidate will have experience with rodent behavior and one or more in vivo (optogenetics, chemogenetics, calcium imaging, etc.) or ex vivo (slice electrophysiology) techniques. It is preferred but not required if the candidate also has experience with rodent jugular catheterization surgery and/or transcriptomics sample prep and analysis. While the candidate will lead the reward/addiction project, there are also additional opportunities to make contributions to other projects as well.

Why join our team? We value training, mentorship, and maintaining a safe lab culture. Thus, aside from contributing to exciting research, the postdoctoral fellow will also receive strong, individualized mentorship and professional support/development for career advancement from the PI. Our lab is comprised of individuals from many different backgrounds and experiences, and everyone is killin’ it! Please check out Cummingslab.com for more information about our Philosophy and to learn about accomplishments of other members of the team. We welcome all in our highly supportive and nurturing environment!

Excited to learn more? If you can envision yourself as part of our team, please email Kirstie Cummings (kac3@uab.edu)  with your CV as well as a statement outlining your professional accomplishments thus far, career goals, and what you hope to get out of postdoctoral training in our lab.