The Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Evolutionary Neuroscience Laboratory of Dr. Erin Hecht. The focus of the position will be to study neuroanatomical adaptations that differentiate human brains from those of other primates, including neural traits related to the acquisition of communication and technological skills. The project involves analysis of both in vivo and high-field ex vivo structural MRI and diffusion MRI data from humans and great ape species.

This is a one-year position, expected to begin in fall or winter 2022, with possibility of renewal dependent upon adequate funding and satisfactory performance. The research will take place in the Evolutionary Neuroscience Laboratory directed by Dr. Hecht and located in the Peabody Museum on Harvard University’s Cambridge, Massachusetts campus.

Broadly, the Evolutionary Neuroscience Laboratory studies how brains change in response to selection pressure on behavior, and how brains acquire heritable adaptations for complex, learned behaviors. Comparisons between modern humans and our living primate relatives provide a way to address this question in the context of our own evolutionary history. The lab uses a variety of experimental and computational tools, such as structural and functional neuroimaging, histology and digital microscopy, and behavior analysis.

A doctoral degree is required for this position. Desired qualifications include research in neuroscience, neuroimaging, development, and/or animal behavior. This research is non-invasive.

This position is part of an NSF-funded project that involves collaboration between laboratories at Harvard University, The George Washington University, Emory University, and the MD Anderson Cancer Center. There will be opportunities for cross-training and interaction with an interdisciplinary research team across the project's laboratories representing neuroscientists, archaeologists, primatologists, geneticists, and animal behavior scientists.

Please submit a letter of interest, an updated CV, and the names of three references at https://academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/11561. Evaluation will begin at the time the advertisement is placed and will continue until the position is filled.

The lab's website is: https://hechtlab.org

Harvard University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, sexual identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.