Postdoctoral Training Program in Sensorimotor Control

In 2025 the Zuckerman Institute launched a new NIH-funded T32 Postdoctoral Training Program in Integrated Computational and Experimental Sensorimotor Control. This interdisciplinary training program brings together theoretical and experimental neuroscience to understand how the brain controls movement across multiple species, with trainees focusing on one or more model systems - including computational models. The training is suitable for both applicants with a PhD in sensorimotor control and those who wish to transition to the area. We encourage applicants with an experimental background who are interested in including computational approaches in their research as well as those with a computational background who are interested in including experimental approaches.

Applications closed on December 16, 2025. Expected start date for new Fellows is September 1, 2026.

Requirements of the Fellowship are that candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and must defend and deposit their PhD thesis prior to their start date. Preference will be given to early-career applicants who will have received their PhD less than one year prior to the start date.

Program Details

Postdoctoral Fellows

Postdoctoral Fellows in the program will be co-mentored by an experimental and a computational/theory mentor from among 15 faculty (see the list of faculty, below). Each fellow receives two years of NIH T32 support and will participate in a comprehensive, faculty-directed training curriculum including a core course in sensorimotor control, experimental design workshops, journal clubs, hackathons and cross-lab collaborations.

As members of the Zuckerman Institute community, fellows have full access to the Institute's cutting-edge equipment, facilities, space and services. These include a magnetic resonance imaging facility, a cellular imaging team with advanced microscopy instrumentation, customized molecular and genetic tools, single-cell analysis capabilities, opportunities to partner with the country's strongest concentration of computational neuroscientists, and much more.

Fellows also enjoy the Institute's extensive portfolio of scientific programs, including symposia, seminars, public outreach opportunities, and events with award-winning artists-in-residence. Also available to fellows are resources for career and professional development and community building: opportunities to build a network of advisors and connect with principal investigators and postdocs in other disciplines, as well as special-interest activities (like thematic journal clubs), grant-writing consultation and assistance and trainee advisory resources to navigate both academic and non-academic job markets. Beyond these Institute resources, fellows are encouraged to engage with the wider Columbia University community. The fellowship offers a competitive salary and access to the university's postdoctoral housing. 

Course: Topics in Sensorimotor Control

Topics in Sensorimotor Control is a new course offered in Spring 2026. Each week, a member of the faculty will lead a 2-hour session that combines a didactic lecture with a research-focused presentation. Geared towards postdocs and advanced graduate students, the course offers an overview of core concepts in sensorimotor control across multiple model organisms and computational approaches. All Columbia ID holders are welcome to attend.

Sensorimotor Control Journal Club

The Journal Club is open to researchers at the Zuckerman Institute, and will offer a deeper dive into the neuroscience of sensorimotor control. Topics will range across experimental and computational research models. Participants are encouraged to attend all monthly journal club meetings. Please sign up for the Journal Club mailing list to receive updates and advance reading materials.

For questions about this program, please contact [email protected].