Assistant/Associate/Full Specialist in Brain Imaging and Network Neuroscience

Open date: July 7, 2025

Most recent review date: Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.

Final date: Thursday, Jan 7, 2027 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.


Position description

Assistant/Associate/Full Specialist in Brain Imaging and Network Neuroscience
Study brain network mechanisms of chronic pain and pain relief from neuromodulation

Job Summary
We are seeking a brain imaging researcher and data analyst to join a multidisciplinary lab focused on understanding the brain network mechanisms underlying chronic pain and therapeutic relief through brain stimulation. The ideal candidate will have training and experience in the analysis of human brain imaging data, including functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and a strong interest in translational neuroscience. Our research aims to identify reproducible brain network signatures of chronic pain and to understand how these networks change in response to therapeutic neuromodulatory interventions such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Successful candidates should be scientifically motivated self-starters, comfortable working in a highly productive academic environment, and keen on applying cutting edge network neuroscience concepts to clinical brain imaging data.

Working closely with a collaborative team of clinicians and neuroscientists, the candidate will be involved in the acquisition, preprocessing, and analysis of high resolution structural and functional brain imaging data from patients with chronic pain. We are particularly interested in candidates seeking to apply advanced network neuroscience concepts (e.g., precision functional mapping, graph theory, hierarchical clustering, etc.) to clinical brain imaging data. This position provides an excellent opportunity to contribute to research that bridges systems neuroscience, pain medicine, and clinical neuroimaging. Successful candidates will interface with a large group of researchers applying neuromodulation (e.g., TMS, deep brain stimulation, focused ultrasound) and advanced imaging methods across neuropsychiatric disorders.

The appointment will be with the Motzkin Lab, which is part of the Department of Neurology at UCSF.

Required Qualifications:

• Assistant Specialist : Master's degree or a baccalaureate degree in Neuroscience, Bioengineering, Computational Biology, Mathematics, Statistics, Psychology, or a related field with three or more years of research experience.
• Associate Specialist : Master's degree (or equivalent degree) in one of the above disciplines or five to ten years of relevant experience.
• Full Specialist : Terminal degree (or equivalent) in one of the above disciplines or ten or more years of relevant experience.
• Proficiency in conventional MRI processing and analysis tools, including fMRIPrep, QSIPrep, AFNI, FSL, and/or SPM.
• Strong programming skills in Python, Unix/Linux shell scripting, MATLAB and/or R.
• Demonstrated experience conducting and managing neuroimaging analysis pipelines, including quality assurance and batch processing of datasets.
• Experience with cloud-based storage and service tools is helpful

Preferred Qualifications:

• MS or PhD in a relevant field
• Experience with network neuroscience, graph theory, or connectomics
• Familiarity with high-performance computing environments
• Interest in translational research related to pain or neuromodulation

Please apply online at , with a letter of interest, CV, and contact information for three references.

For other inquiries, please contact: View email address on click.appcast.io

See Table 24B for the salary range for this position. A reasonable estimate for this position is $63,500-$194,800.

• Curriculum Vitae - CV must clearly list current and/or pending qualifications (e.g. board eligibility/certification, medical licensure, etc.).

• Cover Letter - letter of interest

• Statement of Research (Optional)

• Statement of Teaching (Optional)

• 3 required (contact information only)

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.
• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment


Job location


San Francisco, CA