Research Associate position in functional genetics in Bari, Italy

The Group of Psychiatric Neuroscience at the University of Bari Aldo Moro (Italy) aims to discover the biological sources of differences between individuals that make them at risk of - or resilient to -psychiatric disorders.

The group is headed by Prof. Alessandro Bertolino and investigates the association of genetic variability with neuroimaging phenotypes, with a special focus on subjects at risk for psychiatric disorders. Successful candidates will work in the lab of Brain Imaging, Networks, and Data mining (BIND) directed by Dr. Giulio Pergola (for recent articles from the lab, see [1], [2], [3]). The environment is interdisciplinary, including psychologists, biotechnologists, and MDs, and internationally oriented, e.g., including Marie Curie awardees Dr. Pergola and Dr. Linda A. Antonucci, along with several other members trained for > 1 year in UK, USA, and Finland.

The ideal applicant is a computational biologist, bioinformatician, neuroimager or biostatistician with expertise in biology, neuroscience, or any quantitative research field. Coding experience (especially R, Matlab, Unix, and/or Python) is required, whereas statistics, machine learning, and graph theory expertise are a plus. We expect the successful candidate to be motivated and research-oriented. It is equally important to have a team-working attitude and a motivation to fit in the group. Proficiency in Italian is not required.

Consider applying if you only have strong coding and analytic skills and no neuroscience experience – definitely apply if you are driven by the desire to understand the human brain and mind down to molecules, so that we can generate actionable plans to improve mental health.

The University of Bari Aldo Moro is one the largest Italian universities (50.000 students, 1500 permanent professors and researchers, 1500 units of technicians and administrative staff). Bari is a sunny city located by the sea, and the third largest Italian city south of Rome. The cost of living is low relative to Italian standards.
Please contact Dr. Giulio Pergola sending a CV and the contact details of at least two references if you would like to have more information on the positions and on the ongoing projects (giulio.pergola@uniba.it).