Postdoctoral Researcher

Job Title:
Postdoctoral Researcher

Grade: 18

Salary: $66,227-$75,827 per year

The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene is seeking a qualified candidate to fill a full-time Postdoctoral Researcher position in the Anacker lab at the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI). The role involves using in vivo brain imaging techniques in rodent models to investigate neural circuits underlying vulnerability and resilience to stress. Applicants will work with mouse models of social stress and early life adversity, employing circuit tracing, optogenetic and chemo genetic (DREADDs) manipulation, in vivo Ca2+ imaging, and biosensors to visualize neurotransmitter changes during fear generalization and cognitive flexibility tasks.

• Stereotaxic surgeries for virus injection and fiber implantation into the mouse brain; mouse behavioral experiments using tasks of fear generalization and cognitive flexibility; optogenetic and chemo genetic manipulation of neural circuits in freely moving mice; in vivo Ca2+ imaging of neural activity and neurotransmitter release during behavior tasks; transgenic mouse colony maintenance and genotyping; immunohistochemistry; and fluorescent microscopy.
• Independently conduct these tasks and use advanced data‑analysis tools in MATLAB or Python to analyze in vivo imaging data.
• Contribute to project development from conceptual framing to experimentation, data analysis, presentation of scientific findings at conferences, and publication in peer‑reviewed journals.
• Demonstrate high motivation and organization; experience with rodent behavioral tasks and stereotaxic surgeries for virus injections or fiber implantations; analytical skills using SPSS, R, Graph Pad, MATLAB or Python.
• Collaborate within a collegial environment in the Departments of Psychiatry at Columbia University and NYSPI.

• PhD in neuroscience or a related field.
• At least 2 years of experience working with rodents.

• Experience with rodent stereotactic brain surgery for virus injection and/or implantation surgeries.
• More than 1 year of experience using optogenetic or in‑vivo imaging techniques in the rodent brain.
• Proficiency in MATLAB or Python for data analysis of in‑vivo imaging data.
• Basic skills in R to analyze RNA sequencing data.

Work Location: 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032

To Apply: Submit an application through our website at  Only applications submitted through the website will be considered.

The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH) is committed to promoting mental health and supporting recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. Applicants with lived mental health experience are encouraged to apply. RFMH is an equal‑opportunity/affirmative‑action employer, deeply committed to supporting underserved individuals, organizations, and communities and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. RFMH is a private not‑for‑profit corporation and is not an agency or instrumentality of the State of New York.

Employees are not state employees and do not participate in state retirement or fringe‑benefit programs. RFMH is compliant with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a).

Excellent benefits package.