College of Liberal Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences

Postbaccalaureate Research Intern – CAMP Lab (PI: Debbie Yee, Ph.D.)

University of Iowa – Iowa City, IA

POSITION SUMMARY

The Computational Affective Motivational Psychiatry Lab in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Iowa (Director: Dr. Debbie Yee) is seeking a full-time Postbaccalaureate Research Intern (paid position) to contribute to our research on the neural and computational mechanisms of motivation, affect, and cognitive control — and how disruptions in these processes underlie psychiatric and neurological disorders. We use a multimodal approach combining fMRI, pharmacological manipulations, computational modeling, and neuromodulation to address these questions in both healthy adults and clinical populations.

This position is ideal for individuals seeking intensive, mentored research training in preparation for graduate school or a career in computational cognitive neuroscience and/or computational psychiatry/clinical science. The intern will gain hands-on experience across neuroimaging, behavioral, pharmacological, and computational methods in a highly collaborative and supportive environment. This position is ideal of individuals planning to apply to graduate school in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, clinical science, psychiatry, or related fields.

This is a paid one-year position with the possibility of renewal depending on performance and available funding. Candidates who intend to commit for two years are preferred. Qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience, clinical science, or computer science, or related discipline, substantial research or work experience with either fMRI neuroimaging, cognitive neuroscience, affective neuroscience, or programming languages (e.g., R, python, bash). Experience with computational modeling and fMRI is desirable but not required. Responsibilities include analyzing data and assisting with preparation of publications, implementing neuroimaging and behavioral data collection, attending lab meetings, area seminars as relevant (e.g., Cognitive Control Collaborative), departmental lectures and colloquia, and presenting at conferences, and maintaining research projects (e.g., human subjects IRB protocols, lab coordination, server maintenance, and financial management).

For more information about the lab, visit our lab website: yeelabneuro.github.io.

RESEARCH AREAS

The intern may contribute to one or more of the following active research programs in the areas of 1) Motivation, Affect, and Cognitive Control Across the Lifespan, 2) Stress, Pharmacology, and Neuromodulation, and 3) Computational Psychiatry and Digital Mental Health. Our research team leverages task-based functional MRI, computational cognitive modeling, pharmacology, and physiological measures, and digital mental health techniques to investigate the neural circuits and computations that underlie how motivational and affective processes (e.g., stress) impact decision-making and mental effort allocation in humans.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct behavioral and neuroimaging (fMRI) experiments with human participants.


• Assist with pharmacological and fMRI study protocols, including participant screening under PI supervision.


• Collect, organize, and preprocess behavioral and neuroimaging data.


• Assist with data analysis using MATLAB, Python, or R.


• Recruit, schedule, and coordinate research participants.


• Support lab management and contribute to a collaborative research environment.


• Participate in lab meetings and contribute to science communication efforts (e.g., conference posters, manuscripts).

SALARY AND BENEFITS

• Starting salary of $38,755 (Year 1) and $39,920 (Year 2), per the University of Iowa FY26 2A pay level. We anticipate the Year 1 salary will increase to $39,530 on July 1, 2026.


• Optional health insurance (UIGRADCare or SHIP) and student dental plan


• Mandatory retirement plan participation


• University Workers’ Compensation coverage


• Fifteen days paid annual leave plus paid University holidays


• Opportunities for co-authorships on publications and conference presentations.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY AND DEPARTMENT

The University of Iowa is a leading public research university located in Iowa City, a vibrant community recognized for its high quality of life. The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences hosts a thriving neuroscience community. The CAMP Lab is a member of the Cognitive Control Collaborative and affiliated with the Iowa Neuroscience Institute and the Department of Psychiatry. The University offers access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure including dedicated 3T and 7T MRI systems.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

The initial appointment will be for one year beginning August 2026 (or later), with the possibility of renewal for a second year depending on performance and available funding.

To apply, please submit a CV/resume, a brief cover letter describing your research interests and relevant experience, and contact information for two references on the following application form: https://yeelabneuro.github.io/postbacc_application.html. Please also submit your materials through the Jobs@UIOWA website under requisition #935.

For more information about the University of Iowa Postbaccalaureate Research Internship Program, visit research.uiowa.edu/post-baccalaureate-research-internships.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Cognitive Neuroscience, Computer Science, Clinical Science, or a related discipline.

• At least one year of hands-on research experience in a laboratory setting.


• Ability to work full-time (40 hours per week), including occasional evenings or weekends for participant testing.


• Ability to commit to the position for at least one year (two years strongly preferred).


• Excellent organizational skills and careful attention to detail.


• Strong written and verbal communication skills.


• Capable of independent, self-directed work as well as effective collaboration.


• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to qualify for the University of Iowa Postbaccalaureate Research Internship Program.

• Experience with fMRI neuroimaging or pharmacology data collection or analysis.


• Prior experience running human behavioral experiments.


• Programming skills in Python, MATLAB, R, or bash.


• Familiarity with computational modeling (e.g., reinforcement learning, drift-diffusion models, Bayesian methods).


• Interest or coursework in pharmacology, psychopharmacology, cognitive and/or affective neuroscience, or computational psychiatry.


• Experience with statistical analysis (e.g., linear mixed effects models in R or Python, Bayesian inference).