Postdoctoral Research Associate

Position Summary
The Mind & Brain Health Labs ( MBHL ) in the Department of Neurological Sciences at the University of Nebraska Medical Center seeks an outstanding post-doctoral research scholar. The successful applicant will have a strong training in cognitive science and human behavioral modeling, and be a passionate learner, who is eager to collaborate in multidisciplinary studies of real-world behavior. This includes observational studies using real-world data from personal devices, automobiles, and individuals' own environments, as a naturalistic window on sleep, movement, and physiology. The goal is to develop actionable, metrics on early disease detection and progression, social-engagement, and quality of life for new clinical interventions and trials––to advance detection, prediction, and healthcare for all across the lifespan and exposome, as for neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, mental health conditions such as PTSD , and common medical disorders such as diabetes and arthritis. The postdoctoral scholar will benefit from educational, professional development, and collaborative resources in clinical and translational research ( CTR ) in the department and in the Great Plains IDeA- CTR network, and growing institutional strengths in AI, machine learning and clinical informatics. This is a unique opportunity to translate and expand human behavior, cognitive, and analytic/programming skill sets to cutting-edge CTR , in addition to building a competitive CV with presentations and publications. Essential Activities: Conduct collaborative research (with MBHL research team, industry, and academic partners) on cognitive effects of disease on human behavior to develop models of disease. Work with MBHL research team to identify, develop, and implement new research ideas, funding proposals, and data analyses. Analyze data to provide answers to research questions. Author publications and present findings to the scientific community. Prepare technical reports for internal use and funding agencies. MBHL (https: //ww w .un m c.edu/mbhl/) is an interdisciplinary group of researchers who are committed to CTR aimed at improving patient health, safety, and quality of life. Our collaborative team is funded by the NIH , industry, and foundation grants––and combines expertise from medicine, cognitive neuroscience, human factors, driving research, statistics, computer science, biomechanics, and public policy. We focus on developing evidence-based models of how disease impacts human behavior (driving, sleep, mobility) and of how physiology predicts disease development, progression, and outcomes (safety, health, and quality of life). Our techniques combine comprehensive demographic, laboratory and medical assessments with personal, sensor-based monitoring of real-world behavior and physiologic patterns with a focus on aging, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and medical conditions such as diabetes. Research outcomes aim to inform patients and providers, and clinical interventions to improve health outcomes, policy, and technology development with the goal of improving health, safety, and quality of life for all, across the lifespan. The Department of Neurological Sciences at UNMC (https:/ m c.edu /neurologicalsciences/), comprises clinicians, teachers and researchers who seek new understanding and knowledge on mechanisms, care and cures for all neurological and psychiatric disorders. Collaboration cycles from basic research to clinical trials and community outreach, across a network that spans UNMC and regional partner institutions, to advance our shared mission of improving brain health across the lifespan. The GP IDeA- CTR ( ) is developing key infrastructure, programs, cores, and human resources to meet CTR needs and health challenges across the nation. Our objective is to develop a robust, networked research infrastructure to nurture, develop, and guide our CTR investigators, and build collaborations among them and with community partners. This includes multiple academic institutions, a practice based research network ( PBRN ) including about 90 sites, along with other large national research networks. We foster strong partnerships to share new knowledge and best practices in CTR , compete successfully for research awards, and better understand the mechanisms of development of disease, as targets for accessible care, cures, and prevention for all. Questions may be directed to Katrina Cordts, PhD at Applications are being accepted at: Individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Required Qualifications
A PhD in Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Psychology, Human Factors, or related field. Basic and clinical research experience are accepted. Strong analytic skills in statistical modeling of human behavior and health data. Machine learning backgrounds in modeling human behavioral data, as well as experience with digital twin and large language models, are also accepted. Exposure to behavioral simulation work (such as driving simulation). Statistical programming ability (e.g., R and Python) are preferred.

Work Schedule
As directed by supervisor

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