The Opportunity

• Do you have a PhD in neuroscience, medical imaging or neuropsychology?
• Help understand the natural history of dementia and enable healthy ageing and brain health
• Join our NeuroImaging in Ageing team for this exciting postdoctoral opportunity

CSIRO Early Research Career (CERC) Postdoctoral Fellowships provide opportunities to scientists and engineers who have completed their doctorate and have less than three years of relevant postdoctoral work experience. These fellowships aim to develop the next generation of future leaders of the innovation system.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will work within the “NeuroImaging in Ageing” research team in our Biomedical Informatics group. This team has built strong research collaborations with key research groups around Australia in the area of medical imaging and biostatistics to help understand the natural history of dementia and modifiable risk factors that will enable healthy ageing and brain health.

This position will combine medical imaging (MRI and PET) with EEG and lifestyle data collected through smart sensors (accelerometer, pulse oximetry etc). These specific studies will be in collaboration with University of Sunshine Coast (Prof Lagopoulos) and University of Sydney (Prof Sharon Naismith). This project will involve travel and collaboration with the newly opened Healthy Brain Ageing Clinic on the Sunshine Coast (https://www.usc.edu.au/sunshine-coast-mind-neuroscience-thompson-institute/research/healthy-brain-ageing-clinic).  

In addition, this role will investigate imaging-lifestyle measures using data from the Prospective Imaging Study of Ageing: Genes, Brain and Behaviour and The Australian Dementia Network. The focus of this position will be to investigate the interplay between genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors for dementia, and identify lifestyle risk factors that could be modified through interventions.

Your duties will include:

• Developing software (C++, python, matlab) for use in medical image and statistical analysis for use in large cohort studies.
• Developing and validating novel biomedical imaging data for use in diagnostics, including extracting biomarkers from MRI, PET and EEG.
• Coordinating the collection and analysis of several studies between University of Sydney, University of Sunshine Coast and CSIRO focused on brain neuroimaging.
• Collaborating with key partners on answering key scientific questions that to investigate the interplay between genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors for dementia, and identify lifestyle risk factors that could be modified through interventions.
• Carrying out innovative, impactful research of strategic importance to CSIRO that will, where possible, lead to novel and important scientific outcomes.

Location: Herston, Brisbane, Queensland
Salary: AU$86k - AU$94k plus up to 15.4% superannuation
Tenure: Specified term of 3 years
Reference: 70821

To be considered you will need:

• A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as Neuroscience, Medical Imaging or Neuropsychology. Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3 years (or part-time equivalent) of postdoctoral research experience.
• Experience in programming with Python, C++ and/or Matlab to customise important aspects of processing pipelines.
• Minimum of 12 months experience processing biomedical imaging datasets (MRI, CT, PET, EEG) of the brain.
• Ability to undertake both structural and diffusion processing of medical imaging data to extract volumetrics, tract analysis and measures to score lesion severity.
• An understanding of the clinical utility of PET imaging and basic analysis.

For full details about this role please view the Position Description

Eligibility

The successful applicant will be required to obtain and provide a National Police Check or equivalent.

Applicants must be Australian/New Zealand citizens or Australian Permanent Residents.

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. Talk to us about how this role could be flexible for you. Balance

Diversity and Inclusion

We are working hard to recruit diverse people and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish. Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people.

About CSIRO

At CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology.

Join us and start creating tomorrow today!

How to Apply

Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.

Applications Close

11 April 2021, 11:00pm AEST