Postdoctoral Research Associate - Yale Clinical Neurosciences Imaging Center, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine

Title of the Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate

Department and School: Yale Clinical Neurosciences Imaging Center, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine

Anticipated Appointment Dates:7/1/25-6/30/26 (1-year appointment, with the possibility of renewal)

Email/Website: Carolyn.fredericks@yale.edu, Fredericks.lab@yale.edu, frederickslab.com

 

The Yale Clinical Neurosciences Center (CNIC), housed within the world-class Department of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine, provides an integrated core for collaborative research on disorders of the nervous system using state-of-the-art imaging facilities at the Yale Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Yale Positron Emission Tomography Center, and Yale New Haven Hospital. The Fredericks Lab is one of the core CNIC research labs, which are collectively dedicated to improving care for nervous system disease through cutting-edge research and educational events. 

 

The postdoctoral research associate will have the opportunity to take on leadership and key analytic roles in our neuroimaging studies of early-stage and clinically heterogenous neurodegenerative disorders. Our lab uses a multimodal neuroimaging approach (including functional and structural MRI and targeted PET imaging) to better understand how Alzheimer’s disease (especially less common variants that disproportionately impact language and spatial function) and alpha-synuclein (a protein that causes Parkinson’s disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies) affect brain circuits. The postdoc’s work will encompass studies that are actively collecting data as well as applications to the HCP-A, A4, ADNI, and other publically available datasets focused on aging and neurodegeneration.

 

The postdoc will receive training in state-of-the-art neuroimaging analysis methods, including quantitative structural analysis, network-based functional analysis, voxelwise cross-modality analyses, graph theoretic approaches, and machine-learning based applications for functional neuroimaging such as connectome-based predictive modeling. They will also receive training in the clinical neuroscience of preclinical and early-stage disease and in heterogenous Alzheimer’s and alpha-synuclein phenotypes. In addition to  the analysis of neuroimaging data, they will receive extensive experience in scientific writing, with the aim of generating both high-impact publications and creative new ideas for the lab. Our lab works collaboratively across disciplinary lines, with ongoing projects in collaboration with radiologists at the Yale MRRC (Eve Lake, Todd Constable) and PET Center (Nicholas Guehl, Georges el Fahkri) and colleagues at Yale Psychiatry (Al Powers, Chris van Dyck) and the postdoc will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with these research teams.

 

The postdoc’s program of training will also include both attendance at departmental workshops and seminars. They will present their results at weekly Fredericks Lab meetings, join in our weekly journal club, and be expected to present their work at top national and international conferences in our field, such as  Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, Society for Neuroscience, Alzheimer’s Disease/Parkinson’s Disease, and Human Amyloid Imaging. 

 

Location: CB643 (Clinic Building), Yale Medical Campus, New Haven, CT

 

• Applicants should have recently completed or be about to complete a relevant PhD program. T

• The ideal applicant will have prior experience in neuroimaging analysis and a strong background in Python, Matlab, &/or R, and/or facility in other scripting languages and the willingness to learn these. 

• Interpersonally, they should have outstanding communication and teamwork skills and be comfortable leading a team of graduate students and other trainees, yet able to seek direction/assistance when needed. 

• They should demonstrate strong initiative and ability to problem-solve independently and learn new software programs, as well as strong organizational and time management skills. • An excellent working knowledge of the English language, including scientific terminology, is required. 

• Experience with large public neuroimaging datasets such as HCP or ADNI, patients with neurodegenerative diseases, functional connectivity, graph theoretic, &/or machine-learning based approaches to imaging analysis are all a plus. 

• There will be a significant amount of flexibility based on the post doc’s interests and goals, and motivation and enthusiasm are more important than specific prior experiences.  

 

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. 

If interested, please send a cover letter, CV, and the names/contacts for three references to carolyn.fredericks@yale.edu and Fredericks.lab@yale.edu.