Postdoctoral Researcher in Sleep, Memory and Neuroimaging

Grade 7: £39,424-£47,779 per annum

The University of Oxford is a stimulating work environment which enjoys an international reputation as a world-class centre of excellence. Our research plays a key role in tackling many global challenges, from reducing our carbon emissions to developing vaccines during a pandemic. The Department of Experimental Psychology is located on South Parks Road at the new, purpose-built Life and Mind Building, a multidisciplinary research and teaching facility that opened in the summer of 2025.

We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Sleep and Memory research group, led by Professor Bernhard Staresina. The post is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and will examine how memories spanning recent to remote time periods change in quality and neural representation.

The successful candidate will coordinate and deliver a longitudinal, multi-session human study combining behavioural memory testing, overnight sleep EEG and fMRI. The study will include repeated encoding sessions, overnight sleep recordings, an fMRI retrieval session and detailed post-scan memory assessment over approximately one month. You will develop and refine experimental methods, coordinate participant recruitment and testing, process and analyse behavioural, sleep EEG and MRI/fMRI data, and contribute to publications, conference presentations and research funding proposals.

You will also develop reproducible study materials, task code, data-management procedures and analysis workflows; work collaboratively with colleagues and partner institutions; provide advice on scientific protocols and experimental techniques; and contribute to the wider intellectual activities of the research group.

The successful candidate will hold a relevant PhD/DPhil in cognitive neuroscience, psychology, neuroscience or a closely related discipline, together with relevant post-qualification research experience. You will have specialist knowledge and hands-on experience of sleep and memory consolidation, including human sleep research and overnight sleep studies, and experience of designing or implementing behavioural and/or neuroimaging experiments. Experience of EEG data acquisition and analysis, MRI data acquisition and strong quantitative data-analysis skills using software such as R, Python and/or MATLAB are also essential. You will have a record of contributing to peer-reviewed publications and presenting research findings, alongside excellent organisational and communication skills and the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team.

The post is full time and fixed term for 1 year. The research involves overnight sleep recordings; any flexible working arrangements will be agreed in accordance with the needs of the study.

What We Offer

As an employer, we genuinely care about your happiness and wellbeing at work and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme

• 38 days annual leave

• A comprehensive range of childcare services

• Family leave schemes

• Cycle loan scheme

• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans

• Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs

The University of Oxford is committed to equal opportunity, and to being an inclusive institution where everyone belongs and is supported to succeed. We recognise how the diversity of our community enriches our ability to deliver on our academic mission. We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds, including those under-represented within higher education. No applicant or members of staff shall be unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Applications for this vacancy are to be made online. You will be required to upload a supporting statement detailing how you meet the selection criteria, your CV including a list of publications (if any), and the contact details of two referees as part of your application.

For further details please refer to the "How to apply" section of the job description.

The closing date for applications is midday on 4 November 2026 and only applications received by this date will be considered.