Postdoctoral Position in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

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THE ROLE

The Neurodevelopmental Disorders Research Unit at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia - IIT (https://www.iit.it/research/lines/neurodevelopmental-disorders), led by Dr. Michael Lombardo, is looking for 1 talented Post-doc as part of ongoing research understanding multilievel heterogeneity in the autisms. The positions is funded by a European Research Council (ERC) Grant "Disability versus Difference over Development in the Autisms" (AUTISMS-3D) Grant n.101087263. The work will require successful candidates to design and run new empirical studies that could utilize eye tracking, EEG, fMRI, and/or MEG methods and innovate with regards to utilization of novel paradigms for probing social cognition and/or social communication (e.g., naturalistic viewing, socially interactive paradigms). The work also has a large data science component and will utilize multiple existing big data resources that are both broad (large n) and deep (multiple levels of data within individuals) and span multiple levels of analysis (e.g., early longitudinal clinical behavioral development, early eye tracking data, early intervention treatment data, multi-modal neuroimaging data, and transcriptomic datasets).

Successful applicants will work with the PI, other lab members, and international collaborators on a variety of actions focused on identifying important subtypes of patients with ASD. Successful applicants will also be expected to develop and showcase independence, exemplified through any number of ways, including for example, developing novel research ideas and projects, developing of new analysis methods, writing papers and aiding in grant applications, and supervising junior lab members.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Possession of a PhD degree in a discipline related to the work we do in the lab (e.g., psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience);
• Native or near-native command/knowledge of English language;
• Expertise or experience in one of more of the methodologies utilized in the lab – e.g., eye tracking, EEG, fMRI, MEG, network science, connectomics, longitudinal data analysis,;
• Data science and computational skills (e.g., multivariate statistics, machine learning, coding skills in MATLAB, R, Python) and experience dealing with big data;
• The applicant should be highly motivated and able to work both independently and as part of a team;
• Research experience and/or advanced knowledge of the field of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Excellent writing skills and demonstrable evidence of high-level scholarly writing ability.

COMPENSATION PACKAGE

• A yearly gross salary of 35.000,00 €.
• Private health care coverage depending on your role and contract
• Candidates from abroad or Italian citizens who have carried scientific research activity permanently abroad and meet specific requirements, may be entitled to a deduction from taxable income of up to 90% from 6 to 13 years.

Please submit your application using the online form. Please include the following documents (in English) with your application:

• A detailed curriculum vitae (CV). Specific details of open code repositories that demonstrate your analysis and coding skills would be a plus to include in the CV.
• A detailed cover letter with a narrative that clearly explains your motivation for applying for the position and highlights any prior experience, skills, and other information that would make you an ideal candidate and fit for the position.
• 2 Reference letters.

Application's deadline: October 13th, 2026 or until position is filled

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