The Cognitive and Behavioral Economics Initiative at Columbia University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position in the fields of Behavioral Economics, Neuroeconomics, or Computational Cognitive Science to begin July 1, 2021 or after (start date negotiable).

Columbia University's Cognitive and Behavioral Economics Initiative is looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a team under the direction of Prof. Michael Woodford, that studies the cognitive foundations of economic decision making, using behavioral experiments and computational modeling. The program is especially interested in research that explores parallels between the cognitive mechanisms involved in perceptual judgments and in economic decisions. Projects may involve the perception of probability, value or risk; learning to forecast or categorize; the role of imprecise perception or memory in learning the values of actions; endogenous allocation of attention; sources of randomness in decisions; or context effects in choice behavior.

Representative recent publications by our group include: Polania et al., Nature Neuroscience, 2019; Kobayashi et al., Nature Human Behavior, 2019; Heng et al., eLife, 2020; Woodford, Ann. Rev. Econ., 2020; Prat-Carrabin and Woodford, bioRXiv, 2020; Aridor et al., bioRXiv, 2020; and Khaw et al., Rev. Econ. Studies, forthcoming.

Minimum Qualifications:  a PhD in economics, psychology, computational neuroscience, computer science, or related field. A strong background in computational modeling is essential; prior experience running behavioral experiments is desirable. Familiarity with models of efficient coding and approximate Bayesian inference will be particularly useful.

Columbia is an equal-opportunity employer, and we welcome applications from women or groups that have been under-represented in science.

To apply, please send a 1-2 page statement of research interests, a CV, copies of (or links to) one or two representative publications or preprints, and contact information for at least two references to iserp-hiring@columbia.edu. Applications will be accepted until March 31, 2021, or until the position is filled.

Michael Woodford

Columbia University