Position: The Holsen Lab is seeking a full-time Postdoctoral Fellow to contribute to our work in clinical neuroscience related to reward processing, hormones, and appetite phenotypes in depression (PI: Dr. Laura Holsen). The focus of our lab is on understanding factors that drive appetite, mood-related eating behaviors, and weight change, with a broad goal of ameliorating negative health outcomes and chronic diseases associated with disordered eating. Current projects cover stress-induced eating in major depressive disorder, postmenopausal neurocognitive decline in women with obesity, and neurohormonal predictors of response to weight loss therapies including bariatric surgery, neuromodulation techniques, and glycemic load diets. In our work, we explore these themes using multimodal neuroimaging in combination with neuroendocrine measurements and behavioral assessments. We work in close collaboration with colleagues in psychiatry, nutrition, endocrinology, and radiology/functional neuroimaging.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School offers an excellent environment to engage in multidisciplinary, dynamic research training through various collaborative opportunities. Resources include state of the art imaging facilities at the Brigham and Women’s MRI Research Center (BWMRC) and clinical research coordination through the Physiologic Unit of the BWH Center for Clinical investigation [part of the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC), now called the Harvard Catalyst]. The Fellow will have opportunities for publications and presentations using new and existing datasets, and be encouraged to prepare independent research grants. Mentorship will be provided by the PI, along with opportunities to interact with a diverse team of collaborators including clinicians with expertise in obesity treatment, neuroscientists, neuroendocrinologists, neuroanatomists, psychiatrists, and physicists.
Qualifications/Requirements: Successful applicants will have completed a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. (post residency) in neuroscience (affective, nutritional, or cognitive), psychology, or a related discipline. Qualified applicants must have experience working with clinical populations (individuals with disordered eating; psychiatric disorders), a solid foundation in conducting fMRI studies, and a strong publication record of first- author research papers that includes neuroimaging studies. We are looking for candidates with strong technical skills, including competence in task implementation, pre-processing, and analyzing fMRI data (task- related and resting-state functional connectivity), and with expertise and coding ability in relevant analysis software (SPM, CONN, Matlab, and UNIX/Linux environments).
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and an aptitude for writing manuscripts and grant applications are essential. The successful applicant will have the ability to work both within a team and independently, managing several projects simultaneously and training/mentoring research assistants. We are looking for highly motivated, self-driven, creative, and interactive scientists.
How to apply: Interested candidates should send a cover letter, CV, statement of past research experience and long-term career goals, and three letters of references (sent in confidence) to Dr. Laura Holsen: lholsen@bwh.harvard.edu.
