A postdoctoral position is available in the Williamson and Thathiah laboratories at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine to investigate the links between hearing loss and the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

The information from our senses is used throughout everyday life to guide the decisions we make and the actions that we take. For example, the sound of sirens when driving leads to a decision regarding an appropriate motor action (whether or not, and where, to pull over). The neural circuits that underlie these cognitive processes (accumulation of sensory evidence, short-term memory, perception decision-making, etc.) can be severely altered by disease. Hearing loss is prevalent in >40% of individuals older than 60 years and is considered to be the most heavily contributing modifiable risk factor to dementia. It is our hope that by identifying and studying the neural circuits involved, we will provide insight to drive subsequent therapeutic intervention strategies that may lead to the repair (or prevention) of damage.

The Williamson Laboratory uses a variety of state-of-the-art tools to probe the neural circuits of awake mice, including two-photon calcium imaging and high-channel count electrophysiology (both with single-cell optogenetic perturbations), head-fixed virtual reality behaviors, and statistical approaches for neural characterization. A significant focus of the lab is to understand how sensory information is used to guide purposeful behavior in models of health and disease. Details on the research focus and approaches of the Williamson laboratory can be found here: https://www.williamsonlaboratory.com/research/

The Thathiah Laboratory uses molecular, cellular, and behavioral approaches along with optogenetic tools to investigate the mechanisms of AD pathogenesis. Recently, the Thathiah lab teamed up with the Williamson lab to investigate the putative causal relationship between hearing loss, disease pathogenesis, and cognitive impairment using our complementary research approaches in AD mouse models. Details on the research focus of the Thathiah laboratory can be found here: https://www.neurobio.pitt.edu/people/amantha-thathiah

Both laboratories are embedded within the Departments of Neurobiology and Otolaryngology, are members of the University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, the Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, and are affiliated with the Center for Neuroscience (CNUP) and the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC). The Thathiah laboratory is a member of the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (PIND), the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), and the Aging Institute. Postdoctoral fellows will be part of a highly supportive and diverse research environment with excellent career development opportunities.

The University of Pittsburgh was ranked third in terms of total NIH funding received in 2018. The Global Livability Index (The Economist) recently ranked Pittsburgh as the second most livable city in America.

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, veteran status, disability unrelated to job requirements, genetic information, military service, or other protected status.

Contact:
Interested candidates should send a brief statement of research interests, a current CV, and the names and contact information of three references to:
Dr. Ross Williamson: rsw@pitt.edu
Dr. Amantha Thathiah: amantha@pitt.edu

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