Postdoctoral Associate Opening
Systems Neuroscience of Auditory Perception Lab (SNAPlab)

SHRS – Communication Science & Disorders, Pennsylvania–Pittsburgh

Requisition ID: 25005911

The Systems Neuroscience of Auditory Perception (SNAPlab) at the University of Pittsburgh seeks a highly motivated Postdoctoral Associate to join an NIH-funded project investigating mechanisms underlying suprathreshold auditory deficits in individuals with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). The successful candidate will work closely with Drs. Hari Bharadwaj, Aravind Parthasarathy, Samantha Hauser, Lori Zitelli, and an interdisciplinary team of graduate and undergraduate student colleagues from different academic programs (e.g., audiology, biomedical engineering).

This project integrates psychoacoustics, acoustic physiological measurements, EEG, and pupillometry to characterize altered peripheral neural coding of speech and speech-in-noise in human listeners with SNHL and link these mechanisms to perceptual outcomes. Our team has active collaborations with investigators using pre-clinical animal models of hearing loss to provide cross-species context for the human findings, creating a translational pipeline.

Environment

SNAPlab is part of the Brain and Auditory Sciences Research Initiative (BASRI) based in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders (CSD) at the University of Pittsburgh, and is affiliated with the Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center (PHRC). The postdoc will be part of a vibrant auditory-science community (~15 laboratories) spanning multiple departments at the Schools of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences and Medicine, as well as Carnegie Mellon University.

Mentoring & Professional Development

The mentoring environment emphasizes individualized professional growth and a structured pathway toward independence. Pitt CSD’s Office of Research provides dedicated support for grant development, including proposals led by postdocs (e.g., NIH K-series, F32, foundation grants). Additional information about SNAPlab is available at https://snaplabgroup.github.io/.

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and analyze psychoacoustic, EEG, and acoustic physiological experiments in human participants with and without SNHL.
Link human measures to complementary pre-clinical data generated by collaborators.
Disseminate results via conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications.
Mentor graduate and undergraduate trainees.
Engage in interdisciplinary collaborations across the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.

Qualifications

Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Audiology, Psychology, Biomedical Engineering, Communication Science & Disorders, or a related field.
Candidates who hold both Au.D. and Ph.D. degrees are particularly encouraged to apply.
Experience in one or more of: human electrophysiology or neuroimaging (e.g., EEG), psychoacoustics, experimental auditory physiology in non-human animal models, or computational modeling of the auditory system.
Strong data exploration and analysis skills (e.g., using MATLAB, Python, or R).
Effective written and oral communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

Application Instructions

Applicants should submit the following materials via join.pitt.edu – Requisition 25005911 [Click Below]:

Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Cover Letter describing your interest in the position, how your background fits the project, and how this experience will contribute to your long-term career goals.
Names and contact information of two referees (letters not required at the time of application).

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity. EOE, including disability/vets.