Two Staff Scientist Positions in David Williams’ Laboratory at the University of Rochester
Updated 12/03/2024
David Williams is recruiting two research scientists to help lead a research program focused on understanding the diversity of the computations the retina performs on the retinal image before transmission to the brain. The specific contributions made by each of the 20+ classes of ganglion cells to vision are largely unknown because many are rare and difficult to record from repeatedly, especially in the fovea, and it has not been possible to control individual classes of RGC to establish their role in vision in the awake behaving monkey. Our laboratory has developed a suite of novel tools to overcome these challenges. Using the calcium responses of single RGCs to visual stimuli imaged with a unique fluorescence adaptive optics ophthalmoscope, our group can simultaneously characterize hundreds of individual RGCs in the living primate fovea, and return to these same cells over months or even years. We can also drive these same cells optogenetically, offering the exciting possibility to conduct psychophysical experiments on single cells or groups of cells with known physiology, revealing the visual role of each RGC class. Primate species available include macaques as well as marmosets. Our research plan has implications not only for the basic neuroscience of vision but also for restoring vision in the blind.
Eligible candidates will have completed a PhD, with prior postdoctoral experience preferred but not required. We are especially interested in candidates with experience either in visual physiology or visual psychophysics. Experience with adaptive optics retinal imaging, calcium imaging, or optogenetics, is desirable but not required. Hires who are successful in the first year will be offered the opportunity to apply for independent research funding. Both positions are designed to provide a productive pathway to an independent research career.
The Williams laboratory belongs to the Advanced Retinal Imaging Alliance (ARIA), a community of more than two dozen scientists and engineers who use advanced optical technologies to probe retinal function. ARIA is closely affiliated with the Center for Visual Science, the Flaum Eye Institute, the Institute of Optics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and Neuroscience. Williams’ laboratory enjoys especially close collaborations with William Merigan, Sara Patterson, Jude Mitchell, and Juliette McGregor. The University of Rochester has ~40 additional vision scientists, providing a vibrant and highly collaborative research community focused on eye and brain. Rochester is a very affordable and livable city that has excellent opportunities for outdoor adventures in the nearby Finger Lakes Region and the Adirondack Mountains.
Applicants should submit a statement of interest, curriculum vitae, and names of three references to:
David Williams
Center for Visual Science
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY 14627-0270
The University of Rochester is an equal opportunity employer.