Postdoctoral Scholar in Genetics and Neuroscience

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

POSITION SPECIFICS

A postdoctoral position is available immediately in the Laboratory of Dr. Santhosh Girirajan in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Penn State to study the genetic and neural mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders using mouse models. The research program in the Girirajan laboratory focuses on integrating family-based genetic studies with quantitative functional methodologies to understand how genes and genetic interactions contribute to phenotypes in neurodevelopmental disorders.

The postdoctoral scholar will design and implement behavioral and neurodevelopmental assays, linking functional outcomes to genetic perturbations in mouse models. The position provides the opportunity to work at the interface of genetics, mouse behavior, and molecular neuroscience, with additional training in genomics and computational approaches.

Education and Experience

Applicants should hold a PhD in neuroscience, genetics, psychology, biology, or a related field, with demonstrated expertise in functional studies in mouse models and research relevant to neurodevelopmental or neuropsychiatric disorders. Required qualifications include strong training in genetics, neuroscience, and quantitative data analysis. Programming experience (e.g., R, Python, or related languages) is preferred but not required. Applicants should also be willing to mentor undergraduate and graduate students, as the research program emphasizes collaborative, team-based science.

Application Materials

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter detailing their research interests, CV, and a list of referees.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

BENEFITS

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.

For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

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