Junior/Assistant Specialist - Building Blocks of Cognition Laboratory - Psychology

Position overview

Position title: Junior/Assistant Specialist

Salary range: The UC academic salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See the following table for the current salary scale for this position: Specialist salary scale The current full-time base salary range for this position is $55,000-$63,500. 'Off scale' salaries, which yield compensation that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions.

Percent time: 100%

Anticipated start: July 1, 2026

Position duration: 1 year appointment, with a possibility of renewal

Application Window

Open date: March 17, 2026

Most recent review date: Friday, Apr 17, 2026 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: Tuesday, Jun 30, 2026 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

The University of California, Berkeley, solicits applications for a Junior/Assistant Specialist, in the Building Blocks of Cognition Laboratory, directed by Dr. Silvia Bunge.

The Building Blocks of Cognition Laboratory at the University of California at Berkeley, headed by Professor Silvia Bunge, studies the cognitive and neural processes that support reasoning, memory, and goal-directed behavior in humans. To investigate these phenomena, the lab leverages behavioral, brain imaging, and eyetracking method are used. Junior/Asst Specialist will work on a National Institute of Mental Health project titled 'Narrowing the mechanistic gap for anterior prefrontal cortex function'.

The Junior/Assistant Specialist will work closely with Professor Bunge and the project team on this study. Depending on project status at the time of hire, the successful candidate may be involved in data collection: recruiting, screening, scheduling, and compensating participants, collecting behavioral data, assisting with scanning, and overseeing and coordinating with undergraduate research assistants and the scanner technician. The bulk of the position will involve analyzing fMRI and/or diffusion tensor imaging data and presenting and writing up the results for publication. The position will also involve managing data sharing with the research community, handling purchasing and reimbursements, organizing lab meetings and research team meetings. This project targets the lateral aspect of anterior PFC, a brain region whose anatomy in humans is not clearly defined and whose fundamental role in cognition is poorly understood. At a descriptive level, aLPFC is involved in multiple higher-level cognitive abilities. Here, we are investigating its function and connectivity with other brain regions at a more granular level via fMRI, structural MRI, and diffusion-weighted imaging on the 3 Tesla and 7 Tesla scanners at the Brain Imaging Center at UC Berkeley.

This project would be an excellent fit for individuals interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in the field of cognitive neuroscience.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)
Bachelor's degree (or equivalent international degree) or currently enrolled in a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent international degree) program.

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)
Bachelor's degree (or equivalent international degree) at time of start date.

Preferred qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroscience, or Psychology. Alternatively, Bachelor's degree in Data Science or another STEM area but with strong research experience in cognitive neuroscience
• 1+ year of research experience in a laboratory
• Co-authorship on a research article or manuscript in preparation
• First-author presentation at a research conference -Experience with coding (ideally in Python) and statistics, and affinity for learning new quantitative methods
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Intrinsically motivated, results-oriented, organized, and efficient

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter

Reference requirements

• 2-4 required (contact information only)

Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05304

Help contact: dreamartinez@berkeley.edu

Job location

Berkeley, CA