The Creed Lab seeks postdoctoral research associates for funded positions. The goal of the lab is to determine synaptic and circuit plasticity underlying negative affect in chronic pain, mood and substance use disorders, and to use this insight to develop novel neuromodulation therapies for these disorders. To this end, we use in vivo and patch clamp electrophysiology combined with optogenetic manipulations and in vivo biosensors, behavioral assays and molecular biology techniques.
Candidates should have a PhD in neuroscience, biology, pharmacology, biomedical engineering or a related discipline. The successful candidate will lead a project focusing on opioid-dependent plasticity in circuits linking descending pain modulation pathways with the basal ganglia. The goal is to elucidate synaptic mechanisms driving cognitive and affective symptoms of chronic pain.
The projects will integrate a variety of experimental techniques including 1) patch clamp, 2) in vivo electrophysiology and 3) behavioral pharmacology, all combined with optogenetic and deep brain stimulation manipulations. No prior electrophysiology experience is required, but must have a strong desire to learn.
The Creed Lab is housed in the Washington University Pain Center in the department of Anesthesiology, and provides a supportive and intellectually stimulating training environment. Washington University in St. Louis consistently ranks in the top 10 Universities for Neuroscience in the country, and offers outstanding opportunities and a dynamic community for post-doctoral fellows.
To be considered, applicants should submit the following to Dr. Creed (meaghan.creed@wustl.edu): 1. CV 2. Statement of research interests and career goals 3. Contact information for three references
Graduate Students
Positions for rotating graduate students will be available from January 2020. All potential projects are highly collaborative and will use patch-clamp and/or in vivo electrophysiology to study the synaptic basis of basal ganglia circuit function as it relates to mood disorders and addiction. The candidate(s) will learn and apply multiple techniques, for example: stereotaxic surgery, viral-genetic tracing techniques and confocal microscopy, fiber photometry and behavioral neuroscience. Graduate students can join the Creed Lab through the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (dbbs.wustl.edu) umbrella program, or through the Biomedical Engineering Program (bme.wustl.edu) at Washington University School of Medicine.
General Inquiries
Please use the form below, or e-mail a C.V. and statement of interest to: meaghan.creed@wustl.edu