The Fraser Lab at the University of Minnesota (https://fraserlab.psych.umn.edu/) is recruiting a full-time research technician to support the lab. As a part of the Department of Psychology we are involved in the greater neuroscience research community at the University of Minnesota which provides excellent access to training and professional development. The Fraser Lab is interested in the neurobiological basis of motivated behavior and investigates how defined brain circuits contribute to behavioral regulation. We make use of modern neuroscience approaches to record and manipulate neural activity in real-time as rodents perform complex behavioral tasks to relate precise aspects of neural activity to well-defined psychological processes. To do so, we regularly use optogenetics, chemogenetics, calcium imaging, biosensors, pharmacology, and immunohistochemistry. Our ultimate goal is to decipher the neural mechanisms regulating behavior and to characterize how these are altered in psychiatric illness, such as addiction, or by differences in lived experience, such as after early life adversity, to potentially identify novel therapeutics. We seek a team member who can play a lead role in lab operations, collaborate closely with the PI, and engage in team-building and growth.Duties:Laboratory logistics, maintenance and operations (30%):

Nature Neuroscience - Jang et al. measured dopamine and acetylcholine release in the striatum of rats performing a decision-making task and found that the relative timing of cholinergic and...

To navigate dynamic environments, animals must rapidly integrate sensory information and respond appropriately to gather rewards and avoid threats. It is well established that dopamine (DA) neurons in...

Here authors demonstrate how opposing trajectories of dopamine transmission underlie changes in drug seeking and taking over chronic drug use. Increased dopamine to drug cues elevates craving, whereas...

How basolateral amygdala represents the specific value of rewards remains unclear. Here the authors find that basolateral amygdala neurons assign stimulus-specific values to different rewards and rapidly re-scale these signals with changing reward context, thirst or stress, illuminating how the brain guides flexible, state-dependent choices.

View our career opportunities with Lieber Institute for Brain Development including investigators, medical research jobs, scientists, & lab techs

PARIS—In an effort to modernize the principles and empirical procedures of examining phenomena and advancing humanity’s collective knowledge, the International Council for Science announced Thursday t...

Help The Transmitter and Neuromatch bolster the next generation of neuroscientists.

New Pitt research found that this behavior, called sign tracking, relies on dopamine release at just the right time.

The move would undo years of work, leaving advisory councils understaffed, and without the full expertise needed for reviews.

When a cue is located away from its associated reward, some animals will learn to approach the site of reward (goal-tracking behavior) while others will approach the cue (sign-tracking behavior). The ...