Postdoctoral position ad

A postdoctoral position is available in the theoretical neuroscience lab of Jeff Johnston at the University of California, San Francisco.

We will work together on projects involving learning in artificial and biological neural networks, the neural basis of behavioral errors, embodied strategies for memory and computation, and other related topics. Throughout, we will use the perspective of representational geometry to understand how the collective activity of populations of neurons shape and are shaped by these behavioral processes. We will also connect this theoretical and computational work to experimental data through collaboration with labs at UCSF and elsewhere.

This work will be embedded in the broad neuroscience community at UCSF's Mission Bay campus, including the Weill Institute for Neuroscience, the Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, and the Center for Integrative Neuroscience. There is a huge amount of potential for collaboration with experimentalists at UCSF, so I am particularly excited about research projects that make use of this potential.

The successful applicant will have a PhD in neuroscience, physics, mathematics, computer science, statistics, or a related discipline and will preferably have experience working in theoretical neuroscience or the analysis of neuroscience data. The start date is flexible, but must be after July 1, 2026. The salary and benefits are competitive. The initial appointment is for two years with opportunity for renewal. The appointment is governed by a collective bargaining agreement with UAW Local 4811.

If you are interested, get in touch at wjeffreyjohnston@gmail.com by January 15, 2026 -- please include your CV as well as a few lines about your past research and future research interests in the email.

About UC San Francisco

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

UCSF is committed to welcoming and serving all people, honoring the dignity of every individual without preference or prejudice, in support of its public mission and in alignment with our PRIDE values and Principles of Community.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.