Opportunities

The Alzheimer’s and Related Disease Core in the Centre for Behavioural Medicine (formerly HIV-Mental Health Research Unit) is recruiting a PhD student. The fellowship is funded by the Donald Gordon Foundation and Race Against Dementia.

The PhD project will utilise existing data from a previous study (CONNECT), and ongoing data collection from the Ingqondo study, to explore the accurate measurement of cognition in low-income areas and the impact of social determinants of health on screening for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The aim of the PhD project is to improve the accuracy and delivery of dementia screening in diverse South African populations.

This project would suit a neuropsychologist or cognitive neuroscientist, but we are open to dynamic candidates from any relevant background.

PhD supervisors: A/Prof Sam Nightingale (Neurologist), Prof John Joska (Neuropsychiatrist), and Dr Anna Dreyer (Neuropsychologist).

Conditions of appointment:

• Open to South African citizens or individuals from other African countries with status or valid visa that allows them to study

• The student will register at UCT

• This is a 3 year full time PhD position (progression to funding beyond year 1 requires

  proof of adequate progress)

• R260-300,000 p.a. tax-free stipend (depending on qualifications and experience)

To apply:

For more information or to express an interest, please contact sam.nightingale@uct.ac.za by 20th December 2024. Pease include a CV and short description of why you think you might be suitable for the position. You will then be invited to submit a formal application, if appropriate.

The Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health has ongoing academic and research programmes and seeks to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced candidate to serve in the position of a Junior Research Fellow in the field of psychiatric neuroimaging. This is a 3-year contract.

Requirements for the job:

• PhD qualification in health sciences, and 2 years post-doctoral training in neuroimaging.

• Demonstrated experience in analysis and publication of large-scale brain imaging datasets, including brain age analyses, machine learning methods, and neurodevelopmental work.

• Demonstrated experience in postgraduate research supervision.

• An emerging research and publications profile as well as other evidence attesting to an active research capacity and understanding in their research focus area/s.

The following will be advantageous:

• Demonstrated experience in facilitating learning and teaching in higher education.

• An interest in neuroimaging of the impact of substance use disorders on neurodevelopment.

• Evidence of integration of community engagement with learning and teaching and/or research.

Responsibilities:

The incumbent will be involved in postgraduate teaching and research in the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health through the following:

• Supervising postgraduate students;

• Conducting active research with sustained accredited publication in their research focus area/s;

• Involvement in and contribution to the broader mental health care community (academic citizenship);

• Applying for research grants;

• Developing national and international research collaborations and networks;

• Participation in administrative service delivery at departmental, Faculty and University level.

For detailed information on this post, please view the job description on the following link

The annual cost of employment, including benefits is between R574 530 and R796 123

To apply, please visit the UCT Jobs Site (www.jobs.uct.ac.za). (Link for internal applicants) and (Link for external applicants) to create a candidate profile and to submit your application.

Please complete/attach the following to your profile before submitting your application:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• A motivation letter that speaks to the requirement of the position and how your research and teaching interests will fit in with the Department.

• Three referee names which must include their title and name, position details, relationship to you, their e-mail address and telephone number.

The Collaborative Initiative for Paediatric HIV Education and Research (CIPHER) of the International AIDS Society (IAS) seeks applications for the Growing the Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship Programme.

The purpose of the fellowship is to contribute to strengthening research expertise in paediatric and adolescent HIV in Asia-Pacific and central, eastern, southern and western Africa.

Award details

Two-year research fellowship of up to US$70,000 (US$35,000 per year) to provide a stipend for the fellow and can also support travel for learning visit and/or to attend one international conference.

Eligibility

• Early-career researcher that holds a PhD, MBChB or an equivalent degree in public health, science, statistics, epidemiology or a related field.
• The degree must have been obtained within the last 10 years.
• The applicant must be a citizen of a country in Asia-Pacific or central, eastern, southern or western Africa.

The Centre for Brain-Behaviour of the Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health in the Faculty of Health Sciences seeks to recruit a Post-Doctoral or Clinical Fellow with expertise in brain imaging, genetics, or machine learning. We are enthusiastic about mentoring an individual with either a basic science or clinical training, who has experience with MRI analyses, genetic analyses, or the application of machine learning to these and related fields.

The fellowship will be renewable for two years depending on satisfactory academic progress.

We are aiming for the fellowship to begin at the start of 2025, but will continue to advertise until the post is filled.

The following conditions apply:

• There are no fringe benefits, thus, the successful candidate is responsible for their own medical aid and insurance arrangements.
• Tax-free status will be arranged with the South African Revenue Services.
• The successful incumbent will be required to comply with the University’s approved policies, procedures and practices for the postdoctoral sector.
• The fellowship call will close once suitable candidates have been identified.

Requirements

• Basic science candidates must have obtained a PhD in a relevant field within the last 5 years or be able to provide evidence that the PhD thesis has been submitted for examination (or will be submitted for examination). Clinical candidates must have obtained their last degree in the past 5 years.
• Candidates may not previously have held full-time permanent professional or academic positions. Strong motivations for exceptions may be considered.
• Excellent academic record.
• Evidence of ability to work independently and as part of a team.

To apply, please email the documents below in a single pdf file clearly indicating “Centre for Brain-Behaviour” in the subject line to dan.stein@uct.ac.za

• One-page letter of motivation that includes a statement of research interests
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Names and contact details of three referees

The Inhibition in the CNS GRS 2025 will be held on the 5th and 6th of July in Maine, US and will be followed by the associated conference on Inhibition from the 6th until the 11th of July.
During these conferences, speakers from all over the world will gather to discuss their scientific findings. At the Inhibition in the CNS GRS we want to foster collaboration, promote diversity, and create a welcoming community.
The seminar program is carefully curated to delve into three pivotal topics:

• the roles of subcortical GABAergic neurons
• the modulation of inhibitory processes
• insights from computational modelling

We want to encourage discussions covering theoretical, computational, and experimental aspects of inhibition at all scales. By organizing mixer dinners, mentorship lunches and scientific workshops, we're determined to create an atmosphere where everyone feels valued.
We'll match first-time GRS attendees with experienced attendees for a seamless introduction to the GRS community.

Our commitment to inclusivity means we are actively encouraging applications from underrepresented countries, demographics, and labs.
We understand that attending conferences can be challenging, and we want to make it as accessible as possible for everyone.