An NIH-funded postdoctoral research associate position is immediately available in the Zorrilla Lab at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. The Zorrilla lab studies the neural substrates of motivated behavior using models of binge eating behavior, alcohol use disorder, drug addiction, obesity, and post-traumatic emotional disorders. The lab uses modern circuit and molecular neuroscience techniques, including activity- (TRAP2, eSARE), cell type- (Cre drivers), and projection-defined (AAV2retro, CAV2) causal approaches (optogenetics, chemogenetics) and molecular approaches (translatome, proteome, and spatial transcriptomics analyses). Classic neuroscience approaches also are used, including RNAScope, immunohistochemistry, qPCR, RNASeq, Western blotting, stereotaxic surgery, and both operant and naturalistic study of behavior.

The Zorrilla Lab is in a rich intellectual environment, affiliated with the Scripps Departments of Molecular Medicine and Neuroscience, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)-funded Scripps T32 Institutional Postdoctoral Training Program, the NIAAA-funded Scripps P60 Alcohol Research Center of Excellence, the Pearson Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, and the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) Neuroscience Graduate Group.

The successful trainee will gain cutting-edge technical training and develop skills needed to compete for independent funding and transition to independence. This postdoctoral position offers salary levels above NIH minimums as well as employee benefits from The Scripps Research Institute.

Pending Ph.D. applicants are acceptable.

Potential areas of study include but are not limited to: □ reward-, stress- and anti-stress neurocircuitry in alcohol and substance use disorders □ molecular and circuitry bases of compulsive binge eating in models of food addiction □ co-morbidity of post-traumatic stress disorder with alcohol and substance use disorders □ genetic dissection of brain substrates of addiction □ omics of addiction, including bioinformatics and machine learning approaches □ translational neurobiology of addiction and relapse □ neuroimmunology of addictive disorders, including AUD □ sex differences in alcohol use disorder, addiction, binge eating, or obesity

Eligible candidates have the possibility of being appointed to our NIAAA-funded T32 training grant and becoming affiliate members of the P60 Center funded by NIAAA and the Pearson Center. Appointment to the T32 training grant requires candidates to be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.

The Scripps Research Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic or status.