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Postdoctoral Scholar Position in Clinical or Counselling Psychology and Brain Imaging

Postdoctoral Scholar in Clinical or Counselling Psychology and Brain Imaging

Area: Cumming School of Medicine, Departments of Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences

Duration: Two years, contingent on successful performance and funding.

Salary: $50,000 – 60,000/year, depending on experience, plus Plan C health benefits through Alberta Blue Cross.

The Cumming School of Medicine (Departments of Community Health Sciences and Pediatrics) at the University of Calgary is seeking a postdoctoral scholar to work in the area of brain imaging and child mental health.

Job Description: Our team is recruiting a scholar to become part of an active and innovative research program funded by CIHR that focusses on links between gut microbiota, brain function, and mental health in children and youth. The scholar’s work will focus on brain imaging and mental health; however, the work and opportunities are interdisciplinary. The scholar will collaborate with other postdoctoral scholars who are experts in nutrition and gut microbiota.

The source data for the scholar’s work will be an ongoing cohort study (PI Giesbrecht) that has been funded until 2025 by grants from CIHR. We have already assembled sufficient data to address several questions related to brain imaging and early childhood exposures. The scholar will have immediate access to this data while additional data collection is ongoing. In addition to a focus on data analysis, writing manuscripts, and learning new skills related to child development, the scholar will have opportunities to contribute to new data collection with children and adolescents age 9-14 years, and to designing new projects for further follow-up.

Qualifications:

   Applicants must hold an MD or a PhD and have expertise in brain imaging and clinical or behavioral assessment

   Applicants must be 3 years or less post completion of their doctoral degree

   Desired qualifications also include experience with (or training in) experimental and longitudinal research design and analysis

   Applicants are required to have demonstrated capacity to work effectively in a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment

   Fellows are expected to engage in full-time research activities and actively engage in the University

of Calgary’s professional development program as opportunities are being offered

   The successful scholar will be strongly encouraged to apply for national/international awards

Application details:
The postdoctoral scholar will be supervised by Dr. Gerry Giesbrecht in the Developmental Psychobiology Laboratory https://ucalgary.ca/devpsychlab/, and Dr. Catherine Lebel in the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab, https://www.developmentalneuroimaginglab.ca/. For more information, or to apply, please send your CV and cover letter to Dr. Gerry Giesbrecht (ggiesbre@ucalgary.ca).

Our research group is committed to enhancing and supporting equity, diversity and inclusion. Applicants from diverse backgrounds, including age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status, are encouraged to apply. Our commitment is demonstrated in our academic work, clinical training, and research.

About the University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a leading Canadian university located in the nation’s most enterprising city. The university has a clear strategic direction to become one of Canada’s top five research universities by 2016, where innovative teaching and groundbreaking research go hand in hand, and where we fully engage the communities we both serve and lead. The strategy is called Eyes High, inspired by our Gaelic motto, which translates to ‘I will lift up my eyes.’

To succeed as one of Canada’s top universities, where new ideas are created, tested and applied through first-class teaching and research, the University of Calgary needs more of the best minds in our classrooms and labs. We’re increasing our scholarly capacity by investing in people who want to change the world, bringing the best and brightest to Calgary to form a global intellectual hub and achieve advances that matter to everyone.

About Calgary

Named a cultural capital of Canada and one of the best places to live in the world, Calgary is a city of leaders – in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from the strongest economy in the nation and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour’s drive from the majestic Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. The University of Calgary respects, appreciates, and encourages diversity.

The FASD Success Show- With Jeff Noble and Guest Dr. Lebel!!

Dr. Lebel was a guest on Jeff Noble’s FASD success show where they chatted about brain development and how the brains of neuro-typical individuals may be different from those who have experienced prenatal alcohol exposure.  

They dove right into the following questions,

-Is it necessary, important or even helpful to get an MRI for an individual with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder?
-Can the FASD brain grow?
-Can you re-write an FASD brain like you can with other brain injuries?
-Is there a catch up period in development with individuals with FASD?
-Is there any good research about supplements helping the FASD brain?
-Do therapy’s like neuro-feedback have any noticeable and long term effects?

Click the link below for the full episode!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/714360/2868208-010-mri-s-and-the-fasd-brain-with-dr-catherine-lebel

Happy New Year!

Over the holiday season the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab took the time to come together and connect with our community by volunteering for the Calgary Food Bank!

Peak Scholar 2019

Today Catherine Lebel Ph.D. accepted a Peak Scholar Award from the University of Calgary for our lab’s innovative and collaborative research. Using creative strategies such as a children’s book about a rocketship adventure, our lab makes MRI scanning fun for young children. This has enabled critical research into early childhood development. Also, in collaboration with Child Life and other departments at the Children’s Hospital, these strategies are helping to improve clinical care by enabling children to undergo clinical MRI scans without sedation.

Additional MRI Resources: https://www.developmentalneuroimaginglab.ca/participate/resources/

 

Postdoctoral Scholar Position in Neuroscience

Postdoctoral Scholar Position in Neuroscience

Duration: 2-3 years    

Start date: Early 2020 or negotiable    

Salary: $50,000/yr + benefits

The Department of Radiology at the University of Calgary is accepting applications for a postdoctoral scholar to work with Dr. Catherine Lebel in the area of developmental neuroimaging. Dr. Lebel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology with extensive experience investigating structural and functional brain development in childhood and brain abnormalities in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

The postdoctoral scholar will work with Dr. Lebel to study brain development in children and/or adoelscents, and links between brain development, cognition, behaviour, and/or environment. The specific focus area of the project is flexible. We have active projects in the area of early childhood development, white matter changes in adolescence, and brain alterations in children with prenatal exposures.

Applicants should have a PhD in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, medical sciences, or other relevant discipline, and experience with MR image processing and analysis. Applicants should submit a letter of interest, CV, graduate transcript(s), and names and contact information for at least two references to clebel@ucalgary.ca.

The PDS will be affiliated with the University of Calgary, the Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI). The Owerko Centre is a $10M state-of-the-art research space dedicated to promoting collaborative neurodevelopmental and metnal health research across the University of Calgary and its affiliated hospitals. ACHRI brings together over 180 inter-disciplinary scientists to find new ways of understanding and treating child behavioural, meotional, cognitive, and physical health. 

The University of Calgary is a leading Canadian university located in the nation’s most enterprising city. To succeed as one of Canada’s top universities, where new ideas are created, tested and applied through first-class teaching and research, the University of Calgary needs more of the best minds in our classrooms and labs. We’re increasing our scholarly capacity by investing in people who want to change the world, bringing the best and brightest to Calgary to form a global intellectual hub and achieve advances that matter to everyone.

Named a cultural capital of Canada and one of the best places to live in the world, Calgary is a city of leaders – in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from the strongest economy in the nation and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour’s drive from the majestic Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.

               

World Mental Health Day 2019!!

Most mental health problems emerge in adolescence. Due to this the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab decided to examine internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors in adolescences in relation to brain structure.

Our results concluded that there are altered connections to the limbic brain area when related to sub-clinical internalizing and externalizing behavior.  

Currently we are extending this work further to understand brain structures of children and youth with prenatal exposures, most of whom experience mental health challenges.

Stay tuned for more exciting work on brain and mental health coming out of the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab!!