We will have two positions starting from March 2024 for young postdoctoral researchers interested to work at the crossroads between Brain Imaging and Genetics.
Projects overview
The new researchers will be involved in two projects recently funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research under the PRIN program. Both projects will involve the analysis of Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans from public international datasets such as the UK Biobank and the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. The hired researchers will extract and analyze quantitative morphological phenotypes from these images and possibly enhance current extraction methods also through machine learning techniques.
The subsequent analyses will focus on different aspects of these traits’ genetic bases. One project, held in collaboration with Prof. Gloria Menegaz at the University of Verona, will explore the neural foundations of aging and specifically aim to understand the molecular phenomena associated with aging (“age gap”) in healthy and pathological conditions. The other project, which will also involve Pagani Lab at the University of Padova, will include elements of evolutionary and population genetics with the goal to investigate the impact of Neanderthal-derived (and in general recently evolved) genetic variants.
What we are looking for
Young post-docs or post-lauream researchers (a recent PhD will be considered a plus but is not required) interested in the analysis of multimodal MRI images and, potentially, willing to learn about the genetics/genomics field. We require some experience in the analysis of large data sets, and working in a Linux command line environment. Coding skills in Python/R and previous experience in the analysis of MRI images will be considered a significant plus.
What we are offering
Two positions supervised by Prof. Fabrizio Pizzagalli for the imaging aspects and co-supervised by Dr. Davide Marnetto and Prof. Paolo Provero for the genomic and molecular aspects. The positions will be embedded within the NeuroImaging Genetics and Computational Biology labs community at the Dept. of Neuroscience, Corso Massimo D’Azeglio 52, 10126, Turin, Italy.
The NeuroImaging Genetics Lab, led by Prof. Pizzagalli, is dedicated to unraveling the intricate links between genetic factors and human brain anatomy and functions, delving into the mysteries of neurological disorders and cognitive processes. Prof. Pizzagalli, experienced in computational neuroanatomy and neuroimaging data analysis, leads the ENIGMA-SULCI group and collaborates internationally.
The Computational Biology Unit is a medium-small purely computational group led by Prof Paolo Provero with decades of experience in bioinformatics and computational genomics, in addition to a great track record in mentoring young researchers towards expertise in computational biology research.
Contract duration: 18-24 months
Net monthly salary: approx. 1800 EUR/month after all income and local taxes
Contract type: Assegno di Ricerca
If interested please get in contact with us before November 15th 2023 by e-mail (fabrizio.pizzagalli@unito.it; davide.marnetto@unito.it; paolo.provero@unito.it enclosing a CV!