Research technician/Lab Technician Position: Neuroscience

 

 A Lab Technician position is available in the Carnegie Mellon Neuroscience Institute. We are looking for a research/lab technician to help with the operation of our neuroscience lab (Chamanzar and Grover Labs). Responsibilities include managing the rodent (mice and rats) colonies, performing surgeries for in vivo experiments, slice preparation, histology, fluorescent imaging, electrophysiology recording, and coordinating the day-to-day operation of the lab. BS/BA or master’s degree in neuroscience, biology or a related field and prior lab experience.

The lab tech will have the opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team of neural engineers and scientists to translate novel neurotechnology to neuroscience and clinical applications. This is a great opportunity to learn new skills while contributing to the projects in the lab. We are committed to the professional development of lab members, making this position a valuable preparation for those interested in academic, industrial or entrepreneurial careers.

Required Skills:

• Mouse/Rat colony husbandry (maintaining/breeding)Preparations for genotyping (ear tag, ear punch, etc.)

• Assisting with preparing standard solutions, inventory of lab supplies, stock and organize incoming lab supplies and maintaining the lab data.

• Ability to learn and carry out experimental procedures.Performing animal surgeries (Craniotomy and dissections to isolate brain tissue)

• Brain slice preparation & performing electrophysiology recordings (Extra- & Intra-cellular).

• Familiarity with in vivo rodent experiments, i.e., Neural electrode implantation and electrophysiology recordings.

• Intracerebral Viral/Drug injections.Performing Histology (Tissue preparation/ Cryosectioning/ Staining/ Immunohistochemistry/ Immunofluorescence) and Imaging 

Desired Skills:

• Performing histology experiments (tissue preparation and imaging)

• Microscopic imaging (Bright Field, Fluorescence, and 2-photon)

• Basic knowledge of patch-clamp recording

• Calcium imaging in brain slices and in-vivo models.

• Working with software packages for data analysis and image analysis (ImageJ)

• Updating/amending IACUC protocols

• Basic knowledge of Programming languages like Python/MATLAB

 

Interested candidates should contact Prof. Chamanzar (mchamanz@andrew.cmu.edu) and include their CV and expected date of availability. Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis with a start date as soon as possible.

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1) Postdoc Position: Integrated Photonics for Neural Engineering

 

A postdoc position is available in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University on integrated photonics for neural engineering and neuroscience applications. The goal of the project is to design and develop integrated photonic devices for implementing next generation miniaturized neural interfaces.

 

Responsibilities include simulation and design of integrated photonic structures such as silicon photonic waveguides, microresonators and gratings, micro/nanofabrication and characterization of these devices. The postdoc researcher will work with an interdisciplinary team of neural engineers and scientists to translate and test these devices on rodent brains for neural recording and stimulation. 

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Required Skills:

-Simulations of integrated photonic devices (silicon photonics) using FDTD and FEM

-CAD to design device layouts -Micro/nanofabrication (e-beam lithography, optical lithography, etching, metal deposition, etc.)

-Benchtop characterization of integrated photonic devices

-Packaging light sources/fibers with the photonic chips and releasing individual devices for translation to biology experiments

Desired Skills:

-Experience with graphene and other low-dimensional materials (theory and experiment)

-Experience with the design of optical modulators

-Experience with polymer photonics, SiN and SiC material platforms for photonics

-Experience with optical nanostructures such as plasmonics

-Experience with fluorescence microscopy -Familiarity with neurophotonic concepts such as optogenetics and calcium imaging

Interested candidates should contact Prof. Chamanzar (mchamanz@andrew.cmu.edu) and include their CV.

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2) Postdoctoral position at CMU in experiments on instrumentation and engineering techniques to develop novel invasive and noninvasive neurostimulation

A postdoc position is available in the electrical and computer engineering (ECE) department at CMU for designing and implementing a novel electrical neurostimulation system. The postdoctoral fellow will be advised by Prof. Chamanzar and co-advised by Prof. Grover at Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA). The postdoc will also be working with the group of Prof. Alison Barth in Biological Sciences. The team's goal is to develop novel experimental techniques for invasive and noninvasive neurostimulation for next generation brain-computer interfaces as well as advancing treatment of disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson's, and brain injuries. The research project will exploit previously unknown or unexploited biological and physical phenomena that arise from examining the neural system from a combined biological, physical, and information-theoretic/control perspective. The project spans studies on optical phantoms all the way to human translation. The role of the postdoc will be to design and build a high-density system using off the shelf components for performing neurostimulatoin experiments on brain slices with novel as well as existing instruments. The postdoc will be responsible to design and implement the system, testing the concepts in conductive tissue phantoms that mimic the brain tissue, and finally demonstrating the technology in live brain tissue, for which she/he can interface with researchers in the Biological Sciences department. This is an opportunity to work on a challenging scientific problem in a highly interdisciplinary and vibrant environment. The postdoc will be affiliated with the Carnegie Mellon Neuroscience Institute, and will get the opportunity to work with a team of researchers from various disciplines ranging from Biological Sciences, ECE, BME at CMU as well as clinicians at University of Pittsburgh. Requirements: PhD in a related discipline (ECE or Biomedical Engineering) with a strong experimental research record on electronic instrumentation. Experience in invasive electrophysical recordings and/or stimulation in mice or non-human primates is a plus. Prior experience with patch clamp recording and slice electrophysiology would be helpful but not required. The labs are committed to the professional development of the members, making this position a valuable preparation for those interested in academic, industrial or entrepreneurial careers.

The position has no mandatory teaching or administrative duties. The ideal start date is Jan 2019 or it can be earlier. The position is initially for 12 months with the possibility of renewal. Compensation will be commensurate with relevant experience. CMU has competitive benefits (including comprehensive medical insurance) and is an equal opportunity employer.

Candidates should send a CV, a statement of research experience and interests, expected date of availability, and the contact information for three references to mchamanz@andrew.cmu.edu and pulkit@cmu.edu with the subject line "Neural Stimulation Postdoc". Application review will proceed until the position is filled.

 

3) Postdoctoral position in Grover/Chamanzar/Barth labs at CMU in experiments on novel invasive and noninvasive neurostimulation

A postdoc position at the intersection of experimental and computational neuroscience is available working jointly with the labs of Pulkit Grover, Maysam Chamanzar, and Alison Barth at Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA). The team's goal is to develop advanced theoretical techniques, closely with experimental validation, for invasive and noninvasive neurostimulation for advancing treatment of disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson's, and brain injuries. The research project will exploit previously unknown or unexploited biological and physical phenomena that arise from examining the neural system from a combined biological, physical, and information-theoretic/control perspective. The project spans studies on rodents, monkeys, and eventually humans. The role of the postdoc will be to conduct and lead electrophysiology experiments on rodents with novel as well as existing instruments. This is an opportunity to work on a challenging scientific problem in a highly interdisciplinary and vibrant environment. The postdoc will be affiliated with the Carnegie Mellon Neuroscience Institute, and will get the opportunity to work with a team of researchers from various disciplines ranging from Biological Sciences, ECE, BME at CMU as well as clinicians at University of Pittsburgh. Requirements: PhD in a related discipline (Neuroscience or Biomedical Engineering) with a strong experimental research record. Experience in invasive electrophysical recordings and/or stimulation in mice or non-human primates. Prior experience with patch clamp recording and slice electrophysiology. Experience with in-vivo recording and stimulation will be helpful. Experience with optical (1-photon or 2-photon) calcium imaging is also a plus. The labs are committed to the professional development of the members, making this position a valuable preparation for those interested in academic, industrial or entrepreneurial careers.

The position has no mandatory teaching or administrative duties. The ideal start date is Jan 2019. The position is initially for 12 months with the possibility of renewal. Compensation will be competitive, and commensurate with relevant experience. CMU has competitive benefits (including comprehensive medical insurance) and is an equal opportunity employer.

Candidates should send a CV, a statement of research experience and interests, expected date of availability, and the contact information for three references to pulkit@cmu.edu and mchamanz@andrew.cmu.edu with the subject line "Neuro-Stimulation Postdoc". Application review will proceed until the position is filled.