The Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at the University of Iowa, is looking to hire one postdoctoral scholar on a fully funded 2 year position with competitive salary at the earliest time point, with flexible starting dates available throughout 2023.

The post-doctoral scholar would perform research within the context of Social Cognitive Neuroscience using cutting-edge neuroimaging and behavioral methods.  Specific topics will be organized in accordance with the applicant’s interests and expertise but will be broadly related to the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition. Specific topics to ongoing research in the lab include (but are not limited to) processing of dynamic and multimodal complex stimuli, encoding models of social cognition, functional connectivity of the amygdala, atypical functional connectivity in Autism Spectrum Disorders, plasticity in the social brain following actual and virtual brain lesions in neurological patients and/or TMS, causal discovery method application to neuroimaging data.

Highly-motivated candidates with the following profile are encouraged to apply. To apply please send a CV and cover letter (naming 3 references) to dorit-kliemann@uiowa.edu.

About the Lab

Dr. Kliemann’s lab is situated in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Iowa. The lab has space in the newly constructed Psychological and Brain Sciences Building (est. January 2020). It is equipped with behavioral testing suites, an eye-tracking system, as well as with access to the University of Iowa’s cutting-edge imaging facility, which includes research-dedicated human 3T and 7T fMRI scanners. The lab maintains active collaborations with the Autism Center, Center for Disabilities and Development, the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, the Neurosurgical Department, as well as with the Neuropsychology Group in the Department of Neurology at the University of Iowa. More info on Dr. Kliemann’s lab can be found at https://kliemann.lab.uiowa.edu/.

Department and University

The wider University of Iowa provides an active research environment in human cognitive neuroscience, with over a dozen research groups spanning both the University of Iowa’s Department of Psychological and Brain Science as well as the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Neurosurgery at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Iowa City Area

The University is centrally located in Iowa City, an award-winning, vibrant college town in the American Midwest, which combines affordable cost of living with an extraordinary cultural, culinary, and international experience. More info on Iowa City can be found at https://psychology.uiowa.edu/cognitive-neurology-lab/iowa-city. The University is also making substantial investments in neuroscience—already a large community with more than 100 faculty members across five colleges and 26 departments—including the recent founding of the Iowa Neuroscience Institute and the creation of a new undergraduate major in neuroscience. The DeLTA Center brings together a vibrant campus-wide community of researchers interested in all aspects of learning and development.

The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preferences.

• PhD or MD/PhD degree in Psychology, Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, or a related field.

• Existing track record of peer-reviewed scientific journal publications in the domain of cognitive neuroscience;


• Background in human cognitive neuroscience and/or cognitive psychology with experimental approaches


• Strong skills in a scientific programming language (e.g., MATLAB and/or Python)


• Experience in analyzing and interpreting data neuroimaging data (e.g., fMRI, i/EEG);


• Able to work and learn independently and motivated to contribute to the wider research mission of the lab;


• Well-organized and able to coordinate an interact with a team of other post-doctoral scholars, graduate students, research assistants, undergraduates, and intra- and extramural collaborators.