Join our team

Neurobiomarkers of FASD among Justice-Involved Adolescents and Adults, Eyetracking and EEG

Join our Team! We are seeking an outstanding and motivated postdoctoral researcher to join the Psychology, Law, and Neurodevelopment Research and Policy Group, at the University of Guelph, under the primary supervision of Dr. Kaitlyn McLachlan. The Fellow will be engaged in a number of exciting projects focusing on novel applications of neurotechnology, including eye tracking and EEG, to better identify individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in justice and forensic contexts. This exciting project takes an interdisciplinary approach to better understanding and distinguishing cognitive and neurophysiological functioning in adolescents and adults following prenatal alcohol exposure and/or with FASD. The follow will be homed in Ontario at the University of Guelph, with flexible opportunities for virtual and physical engagement in project activities with consideration for public health contexts, including opportunities for travel within Canada for data collection. 

The successful candidate will work closely with the project principal investigator: Dr. Kaitlyn McLachlan at the University of Guelph, and co-investigators, including Dr. Gunnar Blohm and Dr. James Reynolds at Queen’s University. Opportunities for further network and interdisciplinary collaboration will also be available through partnerships and projects via the Kids Brain Health Network and the Canada FASD Research Network depending on interests. Analysis of existing datasets and novel data collection opportunities will allow for continued development of professional skills in project management, analysis, and dissemination.

Position Responsibilities and Opportunities

The Fellow will work collaboratively with a dynamic and passionate research and community partner team (Drs. McLachlan, Blohm, Reynolds) to direct and oversee this project. Responsibilities will include:

  • Obtain required ethics approvals, develop data collection protocols, set up and administer EEG and eye tracking data recording paradigms
  • Recruit and collect data from adolescents and adults with FASD and other neurodevelopmental and/or mental health disorders including those involved in both justice and community settings along with a neurotypically functioning comparison sample (virtual and face-to-face protocols will be developed)
  • Oversee data management, quality assurance, and REB compliance across studies
  • Analyze data using advanced quantitative inferential and machine learning analytic methods of neurophysiological and cognitive/clinical data
  • Train, supervise, and mentor undergraduate and graduate students and research assistants
  • Actively collaborate with community partners, knowledge users, and develop of knowledge mobilization approaches
  • Write and collaborate on scientific articles

Other opportunities also include access to datasets for manuscripts, grant writing mentorship, and support for the Fellow to develop an independent program of research.

Skills and Qualifications required

Minimum qualifications:

  • PhD in neuroscience, psychology, or a related field
  • A strong neuroscience and data analysis background
  • Knowledge of and experience with EEG and/or eye tracking recordings and analysis is highly preferred
  • Excellent oral and written communication and time management skills, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary group
  • Ability to produce academic papers and conference presentations

Preferred qualifications and skills:

  • Statistical and analytic expertise including machine learning and inferential approaches
  • Specialized knowledge, experience, and training in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and/or other neurodevelopmental disorders is an asset but not required – there is a lot of opportunity to learn about these areas!
  • Experience with or enthusiasm for taking research into the field and applying methods in justice and/or forensic legal contexts
  • Very good programming skills would be an asset
  • Previous experience supervising research assistants and/or previous experience mentoring undergraduate and graduate students is an asset
  • Experience or willingness to learn skills in community and partner collaboration

Terms of fellowship

The position is available immediately and will remain open until filled. The fellowship position is for two years, with the possibility of renewal pending funding availability. The Fellow will also be supported in applying for external postdoctoral fellowships, along with additional grant funding research support.

Salary will be 70,000 (CAD), commensurate of research accomplishments and experience. Conference support will also be included. Postdoctoral scholars at the University of Guelph have access to many services and benefits including vacation entitlement, participation in the University Extended Health Care and Life Insurance plans.

How to apply

Submit the following to Dr. Kaitlyn McLachlan at kmclac02@uoguelph.ca

  1. A cover letter describing research background and interests, your fit with this position, career goals, and date of availability
  2. Your C.V. outlining publications, awards/funding, and presentations
  3. The names and contact information for three academic or professional references

About the City of Guelph and The University of Guelph

Located in southwestern Ontario (100 km west of Toronto), the City of Guelph is ranked as one of the Top Ten Places to live in Canada. Guelph – a city of approximately 130,000 people – offers the opportunity to live in a community with small-town charm while providing amenities for families and single adults alike. Guelph is a vibrant community and home to a lively downtown core, thriving cultural communities, diverse recreational activities, numerous shopping facilities, and a variety of special events.

The University of Guelph is a top-ranked comprehensive university in Canada with an enrolment of about 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students across approximately 40 academic units. The University is known for its commitment to student learning, innovative research, and collaboration with world-class partners. The unique combination of transformative research and innovative teaching creates a distinctive campus culture that is widely sought after. People who learn and work here are shaped and inspired by a shared purpose: To Improve Life. Reflecting that shared purpose, the university community seeks to create positive change, here and around the world. Our University community shares a profound sense of social responsibility, a drive for international development, and an obligation to address global issues.

The University of Guelph acknowledges the Attawandaron people on whose traditional territory the University of Guelph resides and offers our respect to our Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Métis neighbours as we strive to strengthen our relationships with them.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.