The Bliss-Moreau Lab, in collaboration with the Baxter Lab, is recruiting a postdoctoral fellow to help lead our new work investigating how social environments impact cognitive, affective, and neural aging. The postdoc will help carry out a newly funded project that shift monkeys’ social environments and tracks memory, affective reactivity, and brain health over the course of time. This project was just funded by a 2 year R56 grant from the National Institute of Aging that we just received and thus we are looking for fill the position with an ideal candidate as soon as possible. While the current funding is for 2 years, we will be applying for 5 years of funding once we have data from this project and the themes of the grant are consistent with other work being done in the lab - that is, the opportunity for a longer fellowship exists.

We are particularly interested in candidates who have research experience working with nonhuman animals, especially nonhuman primates, although candidates who do not have such experience but have a proven track record of strong data analysis and writing skills will be considered.

The Bliss-Moreau Lab is part of the Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, both of which are at UC Davis.

Postdoc recruiting at UC Davis occurs through multiple channels, including both informal (word-of-mouth) and formal job postings. We are generating a formal job positing which will be linked here when ready. Given the need to identify a candidate quickly, however, we are also posting this “informal” (i.e., not via the UCD recruiting website) positing as well.

Qualifications: A Ph.D. in Psychology, Neuroscience, Biological Anthropology, or related fields with demonstrated excellence, broadly defined (that is, we don’t care so much about high JIF papers, but are looking for published papers that are engaging and well written, fellowship applications that whether funded or not speak to scientific promise, creative experimental designs, demonstrated mentoring skills, etc.).  Competitive candidates should have strong communication skills (both written and oral) and strong analytic skills.  The ability to work as part of a large, dynamic team as both a team member and leader is also important.

Contract and Pay: An initial contract commitment of one year will be made, with the ability to extend for additional years upon mutual agreement.  University of California postdocs are unionized and pay rate will be at the standard negotiated rate, which is more than the National Institutes of Health pay scale, and commensurate with experience.  After the first year of the contract, the Bliss-Moreau Lab pays postdocs over the standard rate. The position includes benefits.

To Apply:  Please use this link: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF04502 We begin reviewing applications on Nov 16 2021 meaning that if you submit your application after that, we will not be able to consider it until we have considered and disqualified application received before the deadline.

Additional Details:

The candidate must be willing to perform assigned duties in a BioSafety Level (BSL) 2 or 2+ facility where nonhuman primates may be either naturally or experimentally infected with potentially hazardous infectious agents such as Herpes B virus or Zika Virus.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. UC Davis is committed to maintaining an atmosphere that is free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, exploitation, and intimidation.

One of our current Junior Techs is moving back to the east coast in prep for graduate school. Which means, we’re recruiting! https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF04108

First round of reviews starts 5/24/2021.

The Bliss-Moreau Lab is currently recruiting a postdoctoral scholar with expertise in behavioral neuroscience, histology, autonomic nervous system recordings, and/or neuroimaging. The postdoc will join a vibrant laboratory studying the neurobiology of affective processing across the lifespan, with emphasis both on disease models (e.g., mood disorders, fetal Zika virus infection, Alzheimer’s disease) and healthy affect and social behavior.  The position will be funded via multiple grants to the laboratory, allowing the postdoctoral scholar to become involved in multiple projects. The lab has a number of archival data sets which are ready to be analyzed and written up as well.

We are particularly interested in candidates who have research experience working with nonhuman animals, especially nonhuman primates, although candidates who do not have such experience but have a proven track record of strong data analysis and writing skills will be considered.

The Bliss-Moreau Lab is part of the Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, both of which are at UC Davis.

Qualifications: A Ph.D. in Psychology, Neuroscience, Biological Anthropology, or related fields with demonstrated excellence, broadly defined (that is, we don’t care so much about high JIF papers, but are looking for published papers that are engaging and well written, fellowship applications that whether funded or not speak to scientific promise, creative experimental designs, demonstrated mentoring skills, etc.).  Competitive candidates should have strong communication skills (both written and oral) and strong analytic skills.  The ability to work as part of a large, dynamic team as both a team member and leader is also important.

Contract and Pay: An initial contract commitment of one year will be made, with the ability to extend for additional years upon mutual agreement.  University of California postdocs are unionized and pay rate will be at the standard negotiated rate, which is more than the National Institutes of Health pay scale, and commiserate with experience.  The position includes benefits.

To Apply:  Please send application materials to Dr. Bliss-Moreau as a single PDF attachment.  Please include:

-       A cover letter that details your scientific background, interests, and expertise, as well as an indication of your specific training goals for a postdoctoral fellowship.  Please also include contact information for at least 2 professional references.

-       Your CV

-       Examples of your scientific writing (published manuscripts, pre-prints, or dissertation chapters)

Review of applications will begin on August 26, 2019 and continue until the position is filled. 

Additional Details:

The candidate must be willing to perform assigned duties in a BioSafety Level (BSL) 2 or 2+ facility where nonhuman primates may be either naturally or experimentally infected with potentially hazardous infectious agents such as Herpes B virus or Zika Virus.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. UC Davis is committed to maintaining an atmosphere that is free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, exploitation, and intimidation.

The Bliss-Moreau, Baxter, and Morrison Labs are currently recruiting a postdoctoral scholar to work on a project exploring the behavioral consequences of early Alzheimer’s Disease related neuropathology in rhesus monkeys. The grant that is funding the position is a multi-PI grant (with Bliss-Moreau, Baxter, and Morrison as PIs); the postdoc will have an opportunity to work closely with all of the PIs, even though the position will be primarily housed in the Bliss-Moreau Lab. The postdoc will join a vibrant laboratory studying the neurobiology of affective processing across the lifespan, with emphasis both on disease models (e.g., mood disorders, fetal Zika virus infection, Alzheimer’s disease) and healthy affect and social behavior. 

We are particularly interested in candidates who have experience carrying out behavioral work with nonhuman primates and are eager to learn about the neurobiology supporting the behavior. In addition to carrying out the work for the grant, the person who fills this position will have an opportunity to work on other projects in the Bliss-Moreau Laboratory (including writing up existing data sets). Candidates with strong data analysis skills and writing skills are particularly encouraged to apply.

The Bliss-Moreau Lab is part of the Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, both of which are at UC Davis.

Qualifications: A Ph.D. in Psychology, Neuroscience, Animal Behavior or related field.  Competitive candidates should have strong communication skills (both written and oral) and strong analytic skills.  The ability to work as part of a large, dynamic team as both a team member and leader is also important.

Contract and Pay: An initial contract commitment of one year will be made, with the ability to extend for additional years upon mutual agreement and our hope is to find a candidate who is willing to stay in the lab for the duration of the behavioral work associated with the grant (4 years).  University of California postdocs are unionized and pay rate will be at the standard negotiated rate, which is more than the National Institutes of Health pay scale, and commensurate with experience.  The position includes benefits.

To Apply:  Please send application materials to Dr. Bliss-Moreau as a single PDF attachment.  Please include:

-       A cover letter that details your scientific background, interests, and expertise, as well as an indication of your specific training goals for a postdoctoral fellowship.  Please also include contact information for at least 2 professional references.

-       Your CV

-       Examples of your scientific writing (published manuscripts, pre-prints, or dissertation chapters)

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. 

Additional Details:

The candidate must be willing to perform assigned duties in a BioSafety Level (BSL) 2 or 2+ facility where nonhuman primates may be either naturally or experimentally infected with potentially hazardous infectious agents such as Herpes B virus or Zika Virus.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. UC Davis is committed to maintaining an atmosphere that is free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, exploitation, and intimidation.

The Bliss-Moreau Lab is currently recruiting a postdoctoral scholar with established expertise in neuroimaging, including structural and resting state functional MRI, and DTI data collection and analyses.  The postdoc will join a vibrant laboratory studying the neurobiology of affective processing across the lifespan, with emphasis both on disease models (e.g., mood disorders, fetal Zika virus infection, Alzheimer’s disease) and healthy affect and social behavior. 

We are particularly interested in candidates who have experience working with cross-species imaging data, as the majority of our work occurs with rhesus monkeys, although candidates with expertise in human neuroimaging and a desire to work with animal models are welcomed to apply as well. Candidates with strong neuroimaging data analysis skills, but who are also eager to learn to employ behavioral and autonomic nervous system techniques or learn to carry out histological analyses are particularly encouraged to apply.

The Bliss-Moreau Lab is part of the Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, both of which are at UC Davis.

Qualifications: A Ph.D. in Psychology, Neuroscience, Engineering, Computer Science or related fields with demonstrated expertise in MRI neuroimaging.  In addition to demonstrated expertise in neuroimaging, competitive candidates should have strong communication skills (both written and oral) and strong analytic skills.  The ability to work as part of a large, dynamic team as both a team member and leader is also important.

Contract and Pay: An initial contract commitment of one year will be made, with the ability to extend for additional years upon mutual agreement.  University of California postdocs are unionized and pay rate will be at the standard negotiated rate, which is more than the National Institutes of Health pay scale, and commiserate with experience.  The position includes benefits.

To Apply:  Please send application materials to Dr. Bliss-Moreau as a single PDF attachment.  Please include:

-       A cover letter that details your scientific background, interests, and expertise, as well as an indication of your specific training goals for a postdoctoral fellowship.  Please also include contact information for at least 2 professional references.

-       Your CV

-       Examples of your scientific writing (published manuscripts, pre-prints, or dissertation chapters)

Review of applications will begin on May 24, 2019 and continue until the position is filled. 

Additional Details:

The candidate must be willing to perform assigned duties in a BioSafety Level (BSL) 2 or 2+ facility where nonhuman primates may be either naturally or experimentally infected with potentially hazardous infectious agents such as Herpes B virus or Zika Virus.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. UC Davis is committed to maintaining an atmosphere that is free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, exploitation, and intimidation.

As the Bliss-Moreau Lab enters its next phase of expansion, it’s become clear that we would benefit from a new team member with expertise in neuroimaging. We are increasingly using MRI (structural and resting state analyses, to date) and the new developmental work will expand those projects. We use MRI to track brain development and aging, to carry out multi-species comparative projects, and plan neurosurgeries. There are probably other ways that it could be a useful tool for our work too, which is why we’re keen to bring someone in to the team who has established skills in data collection and analysis, can think creatively and outside the box about affective and social neuroscience, and wants to join a dynamic group of people who really value working as a team.

Given the folks who comprise our team now, we see a number of different ways that this new team member could become part of our group - as a postbac, as a postdoc, as a project scientist, in a full time or part time position, via a short term contract, or with an eye on a permanent position.

So, before we post a specific type of position, we are interested in finding out who might be interested in joining us. If this sounds like a gig that interests you, please reach out to Eliza and/or connect with her at SfN (email her or connect via Twitter).

We’re hiring a new staff person to assist with our newly funded work on the consequences of fetal Zika virus infection. The project aims to understand how perturbations in brain development caused by fetal Zika virus infection impact infants’ social, affective, cognitive, and neural development. The work will be carried out in rhesus macaques. Because monkeys age 3-4x faster than humans, our hope is that we are able to predict what challenges human infants who were infected during the 205-2016 epidemic will face.

The ideal candidate will have experience working with nonhuman primates and must be willing to work with Zika infected animals (wearing appropriate personal protective equipment).

Note that we hire in the “Specialist” title code because staff in the Bliss-Moreau Lab contribute to the intellectual endeavors of the lab (experimental design, papers, posters, presentations, training students, etc.)

https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/apply/JPF02503

Recruiting will be open for 4 weeks. Position to be filled ASAP.

Eliza has just won The Society for Social Neuroscience’s Early Career Award, an honor that she shares with Dr. Matthew Apps of Oxford. She will be giving an award talk at this year’s annual meeting on Friday, Nov 2, 2018.

https://twitter.com/S4SNeuro/status/1049384899256365056

Eliza was awarded the American Psychological Association Distinguished Scientific Awards for Early Career Contribution to Psychology (in animal learning and behavior, comparative) at the 2018 APA meeting in August in San Francisco.  The award inscription reads:

"For innovative contributions to the study of emotion in humans and animals.  Eliza Bliss-Moreau's work in nonhuman primates spans behavioral neuroscience, psychophysiology, and evolutionary processes.  Her work had enhanced understanding of the neural and environmental determinants of the development of social and emotional behavior, and she has applied her research to advance the welfare of animals. She has also been at the forefront of investigating the effects of Zika virus infection on the developing brain.  Her work is distinguished by its interdisciplinary and ethical nature, as well as strong theoretical underpinnings."

The Bliss-Moreau Lab is excited to welcome two new trainees this fall. Brittany Aguilar, PhD joins us as a postdoctoral researcher. Brittany completed her PhD at Georgetown University in Neuroscience during the summer of 2018 and will be working on a variety of projects in the lab.  Alyssa Maness joins us as a PhD student in the Psychology Department.  Alyssa has worked with rhesus monkeys for a number of years at the California National Primate Research Center and is excited to expand her species scope to work with the lab's capuchin monkeys and other species on the UC Davis campus.