J252702
Mentor: Dr. Kirstie Cummings, Department of Neurobiology
Who are we? The Cummings lab is searching for a postdoctoral fellow who is passionate about investigating how the brain encodes and expresses memory, and how these processes are shaped by different experiences. Our lab broadly studies the prefrontal circuit mechanisms of both fear and reward memory, with a particular focus on these processes in inhibitory GABAergic interneuron ‘engrams.’ We study these circuits both in the context of both adaptive (normal fear and reward) and maladaptive (PTSD; opioid drug-seeking) experiences. Towards these goals, we use a variety of approaches including histological, in vivo calcium imaging, in vivo optogenetics and chemogenetics, activity-dependent neural tagging, brain slice electrophysiology, and single-nucleus transcriptomics in transgenic mice.
Who are we looking for? The postdoctoral fellow will work as part of a team to study how prefrontal GABAergic circuits govern sucrose and intravenous heroin seeking. The ideal candidate will have experience with rodent behavior and one or more in vivo (optogenetics, chemogenetics, calcium imaging, etc.) or ex vivo (slice electrophysiology) techniques. It is preferred but not required if the candidate also has experience with rodent jugular catheterization surgery and/or transcriptomics sample prep and analysis. While the candidate will lead the reward/addiction project, there are also additional opportunities to make contributions to other projects as well.
Why join our team? We value training, mentorship, and maintaining a safe lab culture. Thus, aside from contributing to exciting research, the postdoctoral fellow will also receive strong, individualized mentorship and professional support/development for career advancement from the PI. Our lab is comprised of individuals from many different backgrounds and experiences, and everyone is killin’ it! Please check out Cummingslab.com for more information about our Philosophy and to learn about accomplishments of other members of the team. We welcome all in our highly supportive and nurturing environment!
Excited to learn more? If you can envision yourself as part of our team, please email Kirstie Cummings at
About our Postdoc Office
UAB is committed to the development and success of outstanding postdoctoral scientists. Here at UAB, nearly 300 postdoctoral fellows are training currently in a variety of disciplines. Competitive postdoc awards are available including internships, grant incentives, funds to enhance education and collaboration outside UAB, and teaching opportunities at local universities. There is also a Postdoc Research Day with monetary awards. The Office of Postdoctoral Education strongly encourages UAB research mentors to follow the National Research Service Award stipend level guidelines, and postdoctoral scholars qualify for health, life, and other insurances. They also have the right to participate in the university’s 403(b) program and enjoy vacation, sick leave, maternity/paternity leave, and other benefits.
About the University
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a research university and academic health center that discovers, teaches, and applies knowledge for the intellectual, cultural, social, and economic benefit of Birmingham, the state, and beyond. UAB is internationally renowned for its intensely collaborative culture that has — for more than five decades — produced breakthroughs in education, health care, research, and service. UAB was ranked #1 in the United States, and in the top 10 worldwide, in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2018 Young University Rankings.
Spanning more than 100 city blocks, UAB is the state of Alabama’s largest single employer with nearly 28,000 employees and has an annual, state-wide economic impact of $12.1 billion. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 “America’s Best Graduate Schools” ranks 16 UAB graduate programs among the nation’s top 25 and eight UAB specialties were ranked among the nation’s top 50 in the magazine’s 2022-2023 Best Hospitals report. UAB research grants and awards are at a record high, totaling $715 million in FY22 — a 50% increase over the past five years. UAB ranks 33rd among all universities in federal research funding and 17th among public universities. UAB's NIH funding continues to grow among peer institutions in the Southeast and beyond, with the university ranking 25th among all universities in NIH funding and 11th among public universities.
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