The Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS)

at the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence (ISTBI), Fudan University, Shanghai and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany

Director: Professor Gunter Schumann

is seeking

Postdoctoral Research Fellows in Computer Sciences, Psychology, Genomics, Epidemiology and related sciences.

PONS is a newly established centre at ISTBI that thrives to be a worldwide leader in population neuroscience, an emerging discipline investigating the complexity and heterogeneity of behaviour and mental illness on a population level by identifying environmental and genomic factors that shape the structure and function of the human brain. PONS works in close partnership with the Charite (https://charite.de), one of Europe's largest university hospitals and research institutions, affiliated with Humboldt University and Free University Berlin, which is ranked sixth best hospital in the world and best in Europe (Newsweek 2021). PONS integrates neuroimaging, cognitive neuroscience, (epi)genomics and epidemiological research with novel tools for environmental assessments, such as ecological momentary assessments using smart phone applications, social media analyses, and satellite-based remote sensing acquisitions. It aims at the identification of markers and brain mechanisms of risk and resilience for mental illness in different environmental contexts, such as pandemics, pollution, climate change, migration or urbanicity. This knowledge will be applied to develop neurobehavioural interventions targeted at causal brain mechanisms for prevention and early intervention of disease on a public health-relevant scale.

The Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence ISTBI is the first scientific research and innovation institution that integrates brain science, artificial intelligence, and brain-like research in China. In addition to the PONS, ISTBI hosts the Centers for Cognitive Neuroscience, Computational Systems Biology, Artificial Intelligence Algorithms, Neural and Intelligent Engineering, Brain-like Intelligent Transformation and Cooperation, and Human-Computer Interaction. Research of the Centres is supported by several technology platforms, including a Brain Imaging Center with one 7T, one 3T and  one 3T-connectome human MRI scanner as well as a 11.7T animal scanner, and a Brain Bank. There are  a high-performance computing equipment platform, a cognitive neuroscience technology platform, and neural and intelligent engineering platform.

Description of field of application: (i) to identify quantifiable neurobehavioural measures of behaviour by relating functional and structural neuroimaging measures as well as (epi-) genomic and environmental characterisations to symptom groups in both cross-sectional and longitudinal data. The work will involve an exceptional understanding of the neural correlates of behaviour, and extensive experience in the analysis of neuroimaging data using advanced statistics. (ii) to identify risk constellations and neurobehavioral trajectories for mental disorders and their moderation by global environmental challenges. The research will involve comparative analyses of large scale behavioural neuroimaging datasets in Europe, India, China and USA. Applying advanced statistical methods and innovative methodology, such as remote sensing satellite data, the project seeks to investigate how environmental challenges associated with urbanisation, climate change, pollution or pandemics shape brain structure/function and behaviour.

Areas of responsibility:

• Take a leading role in development, adaptation and implementation of state of the art stratification and prediction techniques, including advanced representational approaches.

• Apply these approaches to large scale, high dimensional datasets involving neuroimaging, behavioural,  environmental and –omics.  

• Take a leading role in the publication and dissemination of data.

• Present at academic meetings and contribute to the visibility of the project and its aims.

• Work as a conscientious and committed member of the team in order to achieve the aims of the project.

• Assist with the supervision of PhD and MSc candidates and with the general running of the group.

Benefits:

•The initial appointment period is for 2 years with a potential extension up to 4 years based on performance and the progress of the projects within the laboratory.

•Salary is ¥300-500k/year (~£34-55k/year) based on experience.

•Additional research funding up to ¥240k will be provided to support researchers with exceptional ideas and the capability to run independent projects.

•Opportunities to top-up salaries up to ¥100k/year with grants from Shanghai Government.

•Opportunities to visit collaborating labs at the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Sydney or Harvard University.

•Opportunities to transfer to faculty position with a start-up fund of ¥500k~1million.

•In accordance with the policies of Fudan University, assistance will be provided to candidates with children to apply for admission into kindergarten or primary schools affiliated with Fudan University.

Your Profile:

PhD in a relevant discipline (computer science, psychology, genomics, epidemiology) awarded, or thesis submitted, or thesis near completion.

• A very good understanding of one or several of the disciplines of interest, which should be applicable to the design as well as the analysis of large-scale multimodal datasets, including for phenotype stratification and prediction.

• Experience of working with behavioural, epidemiologic and/or biological datasets is desirable.

• Thorough conceptual understanding and experience in machine learning or/and deep learning methodology is desirable.

• Evidence of the ability to publish in high-impact scientific journals.

• Strong interpersonal skills, including willingness to introduce and help other colleagues with mathematics/statistics skills.

• Good organisational skills.

• Professional and enthusiastic attitude.

• German language skills desirable, but not essential.

Starting Date:

01.07.2021

Length of employment:

24-48 months

Working time (hrs./week):

40 hrs/week

Application:

Applicants should send the application materials to gongyanting9458@163.com and the subject of the email should indicate the position + name. Application information includes:

(1)   Cover letter, including research plan

(2)   CV

(3)   Certificates, Attestations

Contact information:

For questions, please do not hesitate to contact Professor Gunter Schumann, email: gunter.schumann1961@gmail.com, tianyejia@fudan.edu.cn & gongyanting9458@163.com