Postdoctoral Position in Auditory Physiology and Psychophysics

["Merri J. Rosen" <mrosen@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Postdoctoral Position in Auditory Physiology and Psychophysics

Speech Pathology & Audiology, Kent State University

Auditory Neuroscience Group, Department of Neurobiology, NEOMED (Northeast Ohio Medical University)

A postdoctoral position is available in a collaboration between two laboratories, to study mechanisms underlying perceptual worsening in children and developing animals. Adolescents can get consistently worse on auditory tasks when trained using a regimen that produces learning in adults. This phenomenon is also seen in juvenile, but not adult, animals. By using identical perceptual tasks for both humans and animals, the project will explore both cognitive and neural correlates underlying perceptual worsening.

In collaborative efforts, the two laboratories conduct 1) neuropsychological and psychophysical measures in adolescents and adults, and 2) multi-site electrophysiology in behaving juvenile and adult animals, and use computational analyses to evaluate population codes for auditory perception.

Our laboratories are part of a very active Auditory Neuroscience Group. We have combined expertise in multiple approaches (slice, intracellular in vivo, and chronic neurophysiology; optogenetics; psychophysics; anatomy) as well as across brain regions (auditory brainstem, midbrain, cortex, and amygdala). The group is highly interactive and accessible, and the successful candidate can benefit from this expertise and from ongoing collaborations within the group.

The position is available immediately for two years, with a possible extension to three years. Funding is at an NIH pay scale. Candidates should have experience with electrophysiological recording and/or with behavior, experience in working with animals, and a strong interest in auditory processing. Comfort with Matlab and some computational/programming skills are beneficial.

For more information, contact Dr. Julia Huyck (jhuyck@xxxxxxxx<mailto:jhuyck@xxxxxxxx>) or Dr. Merri Rosen (mrosen@xxxxxxxxxx<mailto:mrosen@xxxxxxxxxx>) with a CV and statement of research interests.