NASA Postdoctoral Program - Rodent Behavior and Cognition: From Earth Simulation to Spaceflight

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA's missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology. This specific opportunity focuses on studying the basic biological effects of spaceflight and/or gravity as a continuum in rodents, employing ground-based models for simulated weightlessness via hindlimb unloading or hypergravity generated using chronic centrifugation. The fellow will work with co-mentors at NASA Ames Research Center to lead research projects studying hypothesis-driven changes in behavior/cognitive function, associated neurotransmitter or signaling molecule levels, and circulating biomarkers. The position requires prior rodent handling experience and offers the opportunity to contribute to spaceflight mission preparation and work with a highly productive team of scientists and engineers.