Positions in the lab

Join us?
We're actively looking for inquisitive individuals to join our team.

Postdoctoral Researchers (Research Associate)

Job Decription: aoLabs is recruiting one or more postdoctoral research fellows. Positions are available to contribute to projects studying 1) co-adaptive sensorimotor brain-computer interfaces, and 2) sensorimotor contributions to the formation of internal models of the world (see below). In both projects, the postdoctoral fellow will perform experiments with non-human primates that use state of the art techniques in systems neuroscience, such as optogenetics, large-scale electrophysiology, and closed-loop manipulations. Both projects also integrate close collaborations with computational neuroscientists to link experimental observations to theory. Fellows will be heavily involved with all aspects of research, from conceptualization through publication, and will have opportunities to mentor undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students. Fellows will join a vibrant multi-disciplinary neuroscience community within the Orsborn lab and the University of Washington. They will also benefit from resources and training in primate neuroscience at the Washington National Primate Research Center.

The co-adaptive project aims to understand and optimize brain-device interactions in sensorimotor brain-computer interfaces. New experiments will explore how the algorithms used in a motor brain-computer interface influence the neural representations of movement learned by the brain over extended practice. Computational directions will develop new methods to improve performance through plasticity-aware decoding algorithms and experimentally test them.

The internal models project is part of a multi-laboratory collaboration to better understand how the brain constructs internal representations of the world. The Orsborn lab’s efforts focus on better understanding how the act of moving through the world, and activity in sensorimotor areas such as pre-motor cortex, contribute to building a map of the environment observed in brain areas like the hippocampus. Close collaboration between experimentalists and computational neuroscientists will aim to test models and develop novel analysis techniques for rich experimental datasets.

Requirements: Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in bioengineering, electrical engineering, neuroscience, or a related field. Experience with computer programming (Matlab, C, and/or Python), animal behavioral training, and experimental neurophysiology is preferred. Candidates with strong experience in computational domains but limited experimental experience, who are motivated to gain experimental expertise, will also be considered.
Application instructions: Applicants should send a brief description of why they're interested in working in the lab and existing research experience, a curriculum vitae (CV) and contact information for two or more references to Dr. Orsborn at aorsborn [at] uw [dot] edu. Including "[aolabs PDF app]" in the subject is appreciated to facilitate faster responses.
Those interested in the position who are also attending the Society for Neuroscience 2023 meeting should contact Dr. Orsborn to schedule an informational interview during the conference.

Graduate Students

Those interested in working in the lab for their PhD research can apply to one of several UW graduate programs, including Electrical & Computer Engineering, Bioengineering, and Neuroscience. Electrical & Computer Engineering and Bioengineering programs also offer opportunities for master's-level research.

Prospective graduate students interested in learning more about current projects in the lab can send a brief email with 1) a description of their interests and 2) a curriculum vitae (CV) to Dr. Orsborn at aorsborn [at] uw [dot] edu. Including "[aolabs grad app]" in the subject is appreciated to facilitate faster responses.

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate students at UW interested in working in our lab should complete this web form (only accessible w/ UW email) to apply. After completing the application, Dr. Orsborn will reach out to you if there are opportunities that match your interests.