*Postdoctoral Researcher – In Vivo Imaging and Electrophysiology of Developing Cortical Networks* *Smith Lab – University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN* Before the cortex can process sensory information, its circuits must first organize themselves. The Smith Lab at the University of Minnesota studies how this happens. We have found that distributed, modular networks with millimeter-scale correlations exist throughout the developing neocortex, and using *in vivo* optogenetics and computational modeling, we have shown that these networks are self-organizing and depend on local intracortical circuitry. We are now asking how early network activity shapes the circuits that emerge: by imaging, recording, and perturbing activity *in vivo* during development, and comparing the results against models of network self-organization. The postdoc will lead projects combining two-photon imaging, optogenetics, and electrophysiology in the developing cortex, with the opportunity to shape the direction of their own work. *Recent work:* Mulholland, et al. bioRxiv, 2026 <https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.31.715687v1> · Powell, et al. PNAS 2024 <https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2313743121> · Lab website: smithneurolab.org <https://www.smithneurolab.org/> *For more details, including how to apply please see:* https://www.smithneurolab.org/positions/postdoc-2026 Gordon Smith, Ph. D. Associate Professor Associate Director of Graduate Studies Graduate Program of Neuroscience Optical Imaging and Brain Science Medical Discovery Team Department of Neuroscience Center for Magnetic Resonance Research University of Minnesota smithneurolab.org -- Gordon Smith, Ph. D. Associate Professor Associate Director of Graduate Studies Graduate Program of Neuroscience Optical Imaging and Brain Science Medical Discovery Team Department of Neuroscience Center for Magnetic Resonance Research University of Minnesota smithneurolab.org CMRR 1-311C 2021 6th Street S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455 612-625-8823