HST: Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences & Technology
October 23, 2009 This Week in HST Volume 10, Number 8 
 

HST Community Notices

Course Information

Lectures & Seminars

Student Opportunities

Professional Opportunities

Career Programs

HST Community Notices

HST TGIF TONIGHT!

Friday, October 23, 2009
5:30-7:30 pm
in the ever-popular MIT E25-119

The first HST TGIF of the fall semester happens tonight in E25-119 @ MIT starting at 5:30 pm. So take a few hours out from the study or lab work and enjoy some snacks and a beverage with your fellow HSTers in a relaxed atmosphere.

MD students: come on over! show the MIT folk you can represent! Faculty and staff: you're welcome too!

As always, we will be serving up some tasty snacks and delicious beverages (positive ID required). This must-attend event is brought to you by the Joint Council, HST, & the GSC.

 

MIT ENTREPRENEURSHIP REVIEW

MIT Entrepreneurship Review (MITER) is holding a contest for its Board of Editors. MITER, recently profiled by Xconomy at http://bit.ly/DDx7v, is an online publication focused on shining light on some of the best thinking and actions around entrepreneurship at MIT. The publication's Board of Advisors includes Charlie Cooney, Michael Cima, Simon Johnson, Robert Langer, Sandy Pentland, Edward Roberts, and Scott Stern.

The contest will award a prize of $1,000 to each of the selected editors. To apply, go to http://bit.ly/dk6zn, or contact the MITER team (Eduard Villadesau, Erdin Beshimov, and Rob Lemos) at miter@mit.edu with any questions.

 

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION COURSE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

3 Tuesdays: November 3, 10, 17
3:00 - 4:00 pm
MIT Medical (E23)

Meditation can be helpful for reducing stress, increasing focus and concentration, and increasing a sense of ease and well-being. The three-week course Stress Reduction and Optimal Living is ideal for anyone interested in cultivating a regular meditation practice for the first time, or for anyone looking to renew their commitment to a regular practice.

There is no fee for this class. Space is limited; please register by Thursday, October 29th by contacting Lauren Mayhew, Program Manager for the Center for Health Promotion & Wellness.

 

ENSEMBL BIOINFORMATICS WORKSHOP

Monday, November 16, 2009
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Countway Library of Medicine, Lower Level 2, Room 025
10 Shattuck St., Boston

Workshop given by trainer from the European Bioinformatics Institute includes an Ensembl introduction and overview of how Ensemble gene and transcripts predictions are made. Learn about comparative genomics and proteomics tools (orthologues, protein families, alignments) or variation tools (SNPs, haplotypes, linkage disquilibrium). Also learn data mining and large data set retrieval with BioMart. Participants are encouraged to bring problems and questions about their research to try to tackle during the workshop. Requires a general knowledge of molecular biology and genomics.

All HST community members are welcome to attend; click here to register. Learn more about ensembl at www.ensembl.org, or contact Courtney Crummett with questions.

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO SCHOLARSHIP WINNER NICK GONZALEZ CASTRO

We're happy to announce that MEMP student Nicolas Gonzalez Castro has just been awarded a dissertation scholarship from the Advancing Hispanic Excellence in Technology, Engineering, Math and Science (AHETEMS) Foundation, an organization working to develop educational enrichment and academic outreach initiatives for Latino/a students from high school through PhD level. The AHETEMS Dissertation Scholarship is a merit-based award for doctoral candidates, who demonstrate significant motivation and aptitude for a career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics and have completed all academic requirements except for the thesis.

 

FLU REMINDERS AND GUIDELINES

Students, if you feel new symptoms that may be the flu, including some or all of the following: fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headaches, tiredness, diarrhea, or vomiting, PLEASE do not:

- attend classes;
- participate in interactions with patients; or
- enter patient care areas, such as clinics or hospital buildings.

Harvard students can find advice and information at http://huhs.harvard.edu/NewsAndEvents/Announcements/Announcement.aspx?id=200164; students with MIT insurance may find further information at MIT Flu Central, http://medweb.mit.edu/about/news/flu/index.html

 

MIT $100K ELEVATOR PITCH CONTEST

Are you passionate about an idea that you want to bring to life? Do you want to work with the world's best technical and entrepreneurial minds to build a successful company? Then register to participate in the MIT $100K Elevator Pitch Contest and enter for a chance to win up to $10,000 in just 60 seconds! The MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition believes in the power of great ideas, and demonstrates this belief by providing some of the best platforms that help driven current and future entrepreneurs build world-class companies.

Registration is open at http://www.mit100k.org/elevator-pitch-contest/register/. The competition will take place from Tuesday, October 27th through Thursday, October 29th.

 

CALL FOR MENTORING AWARD NOMINATIONS AT HMS

The Office for Diversity and Community Partnership at HMS requests nominations for the 2009-2010 Mentoring Awards. HMS/HSDM faculty members who have provided sponsorship, encouragement and support for the career and/or personal development of other faculty, trainees, and students are all eligible.

An on-line nomination form and a list of past recipients is available at http://www.mfdp.med.harvard.edu/awards/mentoring/index.html. The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, October 30. For further information, please contact Rebecca Poe.



Course Information


INNOVATIONS IN CONSUMER-DRIVEN HEALTH CARE AT HBS

Monday, January 11 - Friday, January 15, 2010
9:00 - 11:30 am and 1:00 - 3:30 pm
Aldrich 211, Harvard Business School

Prof. Regina Herzlinger offers this free intensive seminar course focusing on creation of innovations in health care that better meet consumer needs. Topics covered will include:

three different national models for achieving universal coverage;
entrepreneurial opportunities and obstacles created by a consumer-driven health care system;
case studies of entrepreneurial, consumer-driven ventures in health insurance, health services; and personalized diagnostics tests, medical devices, and drugs.

Students interested in participating should send a CV to Julian Lopez; those chosen to take part in the class will be notified in November. For more information, see http://mba.hbs.edu/JanuaryTerm/seminars/InnovationsInConsumer-DrivenHealthcare.html.


Lectures & Seminars

 

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE TALK AT CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE

Tuesday, October 27, 2009
5:00 PM
Minot Room, Countway Library (refreshments will be served)

Rashi Fein will deliver a talk entitled A Century of Debate: Historical Perspectives on Universal Health Care. Dr. Fein is Professor of Economics of Medicine, Emeritus in the HMS Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, and is the author of Medical Care, Medical Costs: The Search for a Health Insurance Policy and (with Julius Richmond, MD) The Health Care Mess: How We Got Into It and What It Will Take To Get Out.

All are welcome. Please register at ARM@hms.harvard.edu.

CIMIT INNOVATION CONGRESS 2009: ACCELERATING HEALTHCARE SOLUIONS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

October 27 - 28, 2009
Back Bay Events Center, Boston

Highlights of this annual conference include daylong education tracks in three areas (Transforming Patient Care Through IT; Caring for the Injured Soldier; Introducing New Technologies into Critical Care), a national poster competition (submission deadline September 24), and keynote addresses by leaders in academia, government, industry, and the military on how public-private partnerships can and will drive change. Discounted registration rates apply through September 13. See www.cimit.org/innovationcongress.html for complete information and registration.

 

BRAINMAP SEMINARS

Wednesday, October 28, 2009
4:00 pm
MIT 46-3189 (McGovern Institute Seminar Room)

Georg Langs, PhD, Research Scientist at MIT's CSAIL (Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab), will give a talk entitled A Functional Geometry of the Brain.


Monday, November 2, 2009 (please note special date)
12 :00 pm
Seminar room 2204
149 13th St., Charlestown Navy Yard

Paul Yushkevich, PhD, Assistant Professor in hte Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, will give a talk entitled Structure-Specific Techniques for Neuroimaging Analysis.

For complete information on the BrainMap series of the HST Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, see http://nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/martinos/training/brainMap_2009-2010.php.

 

HST.590 THIS WEEK

Thursday, October 29, 2009
5 :00 pm
MIT E25-117

This week's HST.590 seminar is the Open House at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine. For the full schedule of HST.590, see http://hst590.pbworks.com/.

Student Opportunities

LEMELSON-MIT STUDENT PRIZE

The Lemelson Student Prize serves as a catalyst to increase awareness of students' inventions and the
potential for commercialization and adoption of their work. The $30,000 prize is awarded annually to a graduate student or graduating senior who has displayed a portfolio of inventiveness.

Eligible students can be from any department at MIT; both individual inventors or key contributors to a team project are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is December 10, 2009. See http://web.mit.edu/invent/student for complete information, and don't forget to check out the Winners' Circle: out of the past five years, HST students have won the prize three times and have been finalists twice! Clearly this belongs to us, so get moving, inventors!

 

RA IN CARDIAC ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY AT MGH

A post-doctoral fellow position is available in the Cardiovascular Research Center at Mass General Hospital. The lab uses zebrafish and small animal models in order to understand basic aspects of
cardiac electrophysiology. Experience with optical imaging, cellular electrophysiology, and/or cardiac physiology is preferred. Candidates are expected to conduct independent and collaborative research in the lab.

Applicants should send their CV and contact information for three references to David Milan, MD, at DMilan@partners.org.

 

RA IN HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Research opportunities are available in Partners HealthCare's Clinical Informatics Research & Development group and the Brigham and Women s Hospital Division of General Medicine. The RA will support studies involving computerized clinical decision support, electronic clinical narrative data, and temporal reasoning. Two projects underway are to: 1) develop and evaluate methods and applications in the field of natural language processing and temporal reasoning to facilitate the use of electronic clinical narrative data in order to improve the correctness and completeness of structured medication lists in electronic medical records; and 2) develop innovative methods and techniques to process time-oriented clinical and medication data and build time-dependant decision support rules.

To apply, please send CV and/or cover letter to Dr. Li Zhou.


RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP IN BRAIN IMAGING

Research opportunities are available in Young Ro Kim's group at the MGH/HST Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging. The group studies cerebrovascular and metabolic activity in rodent and human brain using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), near-infrared optical imaging and electrophysiology (LFP), and is working on topics such as functional connectivity in the brain, cerebrovascular/metabolic imaging of animal disease models such as stroke and brain tumor.

Experience or interest in magnetic resonance imaging, optical imaging, electrophysiology, signal processing, programming (MATLAB, LINUX), or neuroscience would be helpful but are not required.:

To apply, contact Young Ro Kim at spmn@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu.

 

RAs IN LAB OF COMPUTATIONAL PHYSIOLOGY

Research assistantships for masters or PhD students available in the Laboratory of Computational Physiology (Prof. Roger Mark). Projects in physiologic signal processing, modeling, and development of predictive monitoring systems in critical care. Details are available at: http://lcp.mit.edu, http://lcp.mit.edu/research-opportunities.shtml, and http://mimic.mit.edu.

To apply, contact Prof. Mark (rgmark@mit.edu or 617-253-7818).

 

TA NEEDED FOR 6.022/6.522/2.792/2.796/BEH.371/BEH.471/HST.542, QUANTITATIVE PHYSIOLOGY: ORGAN TRANSPORT SYSTEMS

Dr. Roger Mark seeks a TA (possibly two) for the spring term for 6.022J/HST.542J/2.792J, Quantitative Physiology: Organ Transport Systems. The course covers the physiology of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal systems as well as fluid mechanics. It is taken by upper-level engineering undergrads as well as some graduate students.

TA responsibilities include support of lectures, organizing tutorials and some recitations, helping to prepare problem sets, and proctoring laboratories. To apply, please send a note to Dr. Mark <rgmark@mit.edu>, with a copy to his secretary Ken Pierce <kpierce@mit.edu>. Please include a résumé and a list of pertinent courses you've taken.

 

HAROLD M. WEINTRAUB GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD

The Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award recognizes outstanding achievement during graduate studies in the Biological Sciences. Those chosen will participate in a scientific symposium, which will include scientific presentations by the graduate student awardees and informal gatherings of students and faculty, that honors Hal Weintraub and his commitment to innovative science. Graduate
Student Awardees are generally advanced students near the completion of their studies.

If you are interested in applying to be HST's candidate for this award, please contact Julie Greenberg by November 15. More information is available at http://www.fhcrc.org/science/basic/weintraub/, or contact Susan Parkhurst with any questions.

 

RA ON GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY TO AUTO-IMMUNE DISEASES

HST student sought for research using techniques in genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics to understand the specific genes and mechanisms that confer auto-immune disease. Work will be conducted at the Broad Institute (Medical and Population Genetics Group) and at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Rheumatology Division). The research will be conducted in Dr. Mark Daly’s lab in conjunction with Dr. Soumya Raychaudhuri. Candidates should be interested in applying basic statistical and probability concepts, genetics, and be familiar with a basic scripting (python, perl, R) or programming language. To apply, please contact Soumya Raychaudhuri (soumya@broadinstitute.org).

 

DOE OFFICE OF SCIENCE GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP

 The goal of this Department of Energy fellowship program, which will provide support at least 80 US students beginning in 2010, is to encourage outstanding students to pursue graduate degrees in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, engineering, and environmental and computer sciences. Each fellowship award will be $50,500 per year for three years to provide support for tuition, living expenses, research materials and travel to research conferences.

Applicants must be US citizens and currently a first or second year graduate student enrolled at a US academic institution (or an undergraduate senior who will be enrolled as a first-year graduate student by fall 2010). Interested students can apply online at http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/SCGF.html. Completed applications are due November 30, 2009.

 

NDSEG FELLOWSHIPS

The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship is open to students who are U.S. citizens and pursuing a degree in a number of science/engineering fields. The fellowship pays the recipient's full tuition, heath care and the following stipends: $30,500 the first year, $31,000 the second and $31,500 the third. Applications must be submitted by 1:00 pm on January 4, 2010. For more information, see http://ndseg.asee.org/.

 

NSF GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

National Science Foundation Program Announcements and application forms for 2010 are now available on the foundation website. Eligible applicants must be:

-- a US citizen or permanent resident alien;
-- a graduating senior or in the first year or the first term of the second year in graduate school;
-- pursuing a research-based master's or doctoral degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.

Applicants are required to use the NSF's Fastlane process; for submission guidelines and instructions, see http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov. Some deadline dates which may be of interest to HST students include:

November 2: Interdisciplinary fields
November 4: Computer and Information Science and Engineering
November 4: Mathematical Sciences
November 6: Life Sciences
November 10: Chemistry
November 10: Physics and Astronomy
November 12: Engineering

SMART SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SERVICE PROGRAM

Applications are now available for the Science, Mathematics, And Research for Transformation Defense Scholarship for Service Program (SMART) sponsored by ASEE. The SMART Program was established by the Department of Defense (DoD) to support the education and recruitment of undergraduate and graduate students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

Full tuition, education fees, stipends, paid internships, and career opportunities are provided for students awarded this scholarship. For each year of support, scholars provide a year of paid service at a DoD agency or laboratory. Candidates must be US citizens (no permanent residents) who are enrolled in a US college or university and who are eligible to receive a security clearance.

The deadline to apply is December 15, 2009. For more information and to apply visit http://www.asee.org/smart. Email questions to smart@asee.org.

FORD DIVERSITY FELLOWSHIPS

Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 Ford Diversity Fellowship, which supports graduate students planning a career in teaching and research at the college or university level in a research-based field of science, social sciences, or humanities. Fellowships provide an annual stipend of $20,000, an institutional allowance of $2,000 for three years, and the fellow's expenses to attend at lease one conference.

Candidates must be U.S. citizens or nationals. Fellowship recipients must begin the first year's tenure on September 1, 2010, and must remain full-time for that academic year; after the first year of fellowship tenure, fellows may choose to defer funding for up to two years. All three years of support must be used within a five-year period.

Full eligibility information and on-line applications are available on the National Academies Web site at http://nationalacademies.org/fellowships. The online application deadline is November 2, 2009.

 

SOROS FELLOWSHIPS FOR NEW AMERICANS

These fellowships support students for up to two years of graduate study in any subject, including a $20,000 maintenance grant and half tuition up to a maximum of $16,000 per academic year. To be eligible an applicant must be a naturalized US citizen, resident alien, or the child of two parents who are both naturalized citizens. Candidates must either have a bachelor's degree or be in their final year of undergraduate study; candidates who are in graduate school must be in either their first or second year.

The deadline to apply is November 1, 2009. Complete program information, eligibility guidelines, and application instructions and forms are available at http://pdsoros.org.

RA POSITIONS IN NEUROENGINEERING

HST Principal Research Scientist Chi-Sang Poon has several Graduate RA positions in neuiroengineering available immediately in the Poon Lab. Students in MEMP, SHBT, or MEBE are all welcome to apply. For information, contact Dr. Poon at cpoon@mit.edu.

RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP IN CRITICAL CARE PATIENT MONITORING

A group heavily involved in efforts to improve patient monitoring in data-rich clinical environments, such as intensive care units and operating rooms, has a position for an RA. The group seeks to provide physicians with medically actionable information about a patient's state of health by analyzing clinical signals in the context of physiologically based mathematical models. Research interests span a wide spectrum, from caring for prematurely born neonates to improving monitoring technologies for cardiovascular diseases and traumatic brain injury. Students interested in combining a modeling, signal processing, estimation, and simulation education with applications in physiology and clinical medicine should visit http://mimic.mit.edu and contact Professor George Verghese or Dr. Thomas Heldt.

 

PhD ASSISTANTSHIP IN CARDIOVASCULAR MRI

The Cardiac MR Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center seeks applicants for research assistantships in cardiovascular MR imaging and image guided electrophysiology. For information, and to apply, send CV and contact information for three references to: Reza Nezafat, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine.

RA IN THE MAN VEHICLE LAB

Research position in design of fluid helmet liners for protection against traumatic brain injury is available for the summer and beyond. Requirements include both math modelling (CFD, structural mechanics, especiallyh use of ABAQUS) and experimental skills (drop testing samples).

To apply, contact Larry Young, Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics and Professor of Health Sciences and Technology.

 

RESEARCHER NEEDED FOR VOICE-COMMANDABLE WHEELCHAIR PROJECT

Professor Nick Roy of Aero/Astro and CSAIL, Dr. Bryan Reimer of the MIT AgeLab, and Professor Seth Teller of EECS and CSAIL are working to develop a voice-commandable robotic
(self-driving) wheelchair. They have established a collaboration with The Boston Home, a specialized-care facility for people with MS and other neurological disorders, and are beginning to connect with the VA and with NIH as well to understand the needs of those with SCI (spinal-cord injury), TBI (traumatic brain injury), and the elderly, and to develop appropriate assistive technologies for them.

The group is seeking an HST PhD student to join this effort. Information about the project can be found at http://rvsn.csail.mit.edu/wheelchair/. If interested, contact Prof. Nick Roy or Prof. Seth Teller.


RAs IN ANGIOGENESIS, LYMPHANGIOGENESIS AND OPTICAL IMAGING

Research assistantships available for full time MEMP PhD students interested in working at the interface of bioengineering/biophysics/imaging and cancer. Projects include angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in tumors; engineering blood and lymphatic vessels; intra-vital microscopy; molecular and functional imaging; delivery of nano-medicine to tumors; stem cell biology and applications; probing tumor microenvironment using nano-technology; and mathematical modeling. Funding is available immediately. For further details, see http://steele.mgh.harvard.edu.

To apply, send CV to Rakesh K. Jain, PhD at jain@steele.mgh.harvard.edu.

Professional Opportunities

POSTDOC IN PERICARDIAL INOTROPIC DRUG THERAPY FOR HEART FAILURE

The Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at Caritas St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center seeks a postdoctoral fellow for design, fabrication, and in vitro characterization of controlled release systems to be used in treating acute perioperative and chronic heart failure. The project will also involve in vivo pharmacologic testing in small and large animals using Millar catheters to characterize contractility and other hemodynamic indices.

The ideal candidate will have experience in polymer chemistry, drug-releasing systems and in quantitative methods and engineering, and will be proficient in cardiovascular physiology, data acquisition systems and signal processing. An entrepreneurial spirit and experience with animal models is a plus; an MD or PhD is required.

To apply, contact: Mark Lovich, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, at mark.lovich@caritaschristi.org. The work will be performed under the guidance of Dr. Lovich and Elazer Edelman, MD, PhD of HST and the Harvard-MIT Biomedical Engineering Center.

 

BIOINFORMATICS MANAGER / SPECIALIST, ALLEGRO DIAGNOSTICS

Allegro Diagnostics is a Boston-area company seeking to become the global leader in diagnosing pulmonary diseases by providing earlier, more accurate information to clinicians and patients (HST BEP ’07 Dan Rippy is President and CEO). The company has a position for a bioinformatics specialist to lead the analysis of gene expression data from clinical trials towards the development of diagnostic products for lung cancer and other pulmonary diseases.

Responsibilities include applying bioinformatics techniques and developing software scripts to analyze gene expression data; conceiving and developing algorithms and analysis approaches, and validating results and modifying algorithms or analysis protocols as needed, and supporting development of and analysis for required clinical control parameters.

A PhD in Bioinformatics, Statistics, or Statistical Genetics, or an MS plus two years of experience in a bioinformatics-related field, is required; two years of molecular biology experience is preferred. Relevant experience desired includes statistical data analysis (including genome-wide expression data and microarray data analysis); computer programming and databases; use of bioinformatics and genome scale data to solve clinically and / or scientifically important questions; familiarity with online bioinformatics tools, databases, and pathway analysis, and with the Micro Array Quality Consortium (MAQC) studies and clinical data analysis.

To apply, contact Kate Porta at kporta@allegrodx.com.

 

POSTDOC IN ACOUSTICAL SIGNAL PROCESSING

The Signal Processing group at the University of Oldenburg seeks candidates with a PhD (or equivalent) degree in electrical engineering, computer science or physics, who have an excellent record in acoustics, signal processing, speech processing and/or auditory perception, a strong interest in interdisciplinary and application-oriented work, and familiarity with scientific tools and programming languages such as MATLAB and C. The postdoc will join a newly-established research group working on microphone array processing for speech enhancement and source localization, active noise control, acoustic sensor networks and hearing aid processing.

To apply, send letter, CV, list of publications, a copy of your university diplomas, copies of three major publications, and contact information of two to three possible references to:

University of Oldenburg
Institute of Physics – Signal Processing Group
Prof. Dr. ir. Simon Doclo
D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany
simon.doclo@uni-oldenburg.de

For more information, see http://www.sigproc.uni-oldenburg.de.

 

POSTDOC IN AUDITORY NEUROPHYSIOLOGY AND MODELING, PURDUE

A 2-3 year NIH-funded postdoctoral position is available in the Auditory Neurophysiology and Modeling Laboratory at Purdue University. The lab uses a coordinated approach involving neurophysiology, psychoacoustics, and computational modeling to relate physiological and perceptual effects of sensorineural hearing loss. The candidate will perform neurophysiological experiments (and computational modeling) to study the relative effects of outer and inner-hair-cell damage on the neural coding of temporal fine structure and envelope in the auditory nerve. Experience in neurophysiology is desired, but strong candidates with experience in computational modeling and psychoacoustics will be considered.

For inquiries or for information about the formal application procedures, contact (SHBT alumnus) Dr. Michael Heinz (mheinz@purdue.edu).



RESEARCH FELLOW IN CARDIOVASCULAR MRI

The Cardiac MR Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is seeking applicants for open positions at the level of post-doctoral fellows, research scientists or engineers. The main focus is in the area of cardiovascular MR imaging and image guided electrophysiology. Prior experience in MRI, X-ray/CT imaging or medical image processing is desired. Applicants should hold a PhD degree in biomedical, electrical or computer engineering with strong background in signal processing and mathematics. Prior experience in MR pulse sequence development is desired. Applicants with strong computer graphics/vision with significant programming experience are strongly encouraged to apply. The candidate is expected to participate in both independent and collaborative projects with the clinical collaborators.

To apply, send CV and contact information for three references to:
Reza Nezafat, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine

 

POSTDOC IN AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION WITH PHYSICAL MODELS,
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

A postdoctoral position is available in project on automatic speech recognition in dysarthria. The research will involve detailed analysis of movement data obtained from 3D kinematic recordings of facial landmarks during the production of speech. The findings will be used to inform a physically plausible computational model that integrates with a newly created speech recognition system customized to disordered speech as found in patients with dysarthria. The project is a cooperation between UofT's Departments of Computer Science and of Speech-Language Pathology and Bloorview Kids Rehab. The appointment will be in the Department of Computer Science.

A recent PhD, and high-level expertise and experience in such relevant topic areas as automatic speech
recognition, signal processing, speech science, or programming, are required. To apply, send letter, CV, research statement, and names and contact details for three references to Graeme Hirst.

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP, GENOMICS DIVISION, LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has pioneered the use of computational genomic strategies for understanding gene regulation with the development of tools such as the VISTA Genome Browser and the other components of the VISTA suite. The current project investigates the use of comparative genomics to infer the function of sequence variation in the human genome, with the long term goal of understanding the role of non-coding sequence variation in human disease. The project involves developing computational modules to classify and rank non-coding sequence variants based on their potential to impair function. The fellow will use sequence conservation, estimated through a range of comparative genomic criteria, to evaluate the likelihood of deleteriousness of non-coding sequence variants.

Qualified applicants should have a strong background in bioinformatics, molecular phylogenetics and statistics. Applicants should be proficient in computer programming, and will be expected to interact with biologists and software engineers. To apply, send CV and three references to Inna Dubchak, PhD.


U OF CALIFORNIA PRESIDENT'S POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

The University of California President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program encourages outstanding women and minority Ph.D. recipients to pursue academic careers at the University of California. The program offers postdoctoral research fellowships and faculty mentoring to qualified scholars in all fields. The program seeks applicants with the potential to bring to their academic careers the critical perspective that comes from their non-traditional educational background or understanding of the experiences of members of groups historically underrepresented in higher education.

Fifteen to twenty fellowships, providing salary of $40-50,000, plus health insurance, vision and dental benefits, and up to $4,000 for research-related expenses, are awarded every year. Awards are renewable for one year upon demonstration of academic productivity and participation in program events. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and must hold or receive a Ph.D. from an accredited university by June 30, 2010.

The application deadline is: November 2, 2009. See online application at: http://www.ucop.edu/acadadv/ppfp/; contact Kimberly Adkinson, Program Manager, for further information.

POSTDOC IN PROTEIN TURNOVER DYNAMICS IN THE INNER EAR

A postdoctoral fellowship is available immediately to study the dynamics of protein turnover in the inner ear in health and after noise trauma. The project is a collaboration among HMS researchers in the Eaton-Peabody Laboratory of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and the Department of Neurobiology and the National Resource for Imaging Mass Spectrometry at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The fellow will learn auditory biology with a focus on inner ear imaging and physiology. Candidates should have a recent doctoral-level degree.

To apply, send CV, statement of research interest, reprints, and contact information for three references to Sharon G. Kujawa, Ph.D., Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

MEDICAL IMAGING SOLUTIONS ENGINEER

A European medical imaging company is searching for entry-level engineers (recent graduates or applicants with 1 to 2+ years of commercial experience). The position involves software development, medical imaging algorithms and solutions/custom engineering.

Candidates should have solid image processing, software, and algorithm skills - ideally from the medical or healthcare fields (i.e. X-ray, MRI, Ultrasound or CT related). The role requires strong interpersonal skills and the ability to do business travel (about 50%). This is with an international, well-respected company near Boston, MA.

To apply, please email your CV (.doc format) to Matthias Leitzman, TCI Founder/Lead Recruiter.

 

RESEARCH TECHNICIAN, STEM CELL RESEARCH FOR MAMMALIAN ORGAN REGENGERATION

The Division of Genetics, in the Department of Medicine at HMS and Brigham & Women's Hospital has a position for a research technician in stem cell research for organogenesis. As part of the Systems based Consortium for Organ Design and Engineering (SysCODE), our major focus is on using principles of developmental and stem cell biology, genomics and computational science to build organ parts (tooth germ, pancreatic islet, heart valve, lens) from stem cells. The project involves developing protocols to direct the differentiation of ES and iPS cells to specific organ fates in vitro, and entails extensive cell culture work. Undergraduate experience in molecular biology, cell culture, developmental biology is required, and familiarity with computational analysis of gene expression data, or tissue engineering is preferred.

To apply, send resume to:
Richard Maas, M.D, Ph.D.
BWH Division of Genetics
New Research Bldg., Rm. 458h
Harvard Medical School
77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115
info@syscode.org


PAIN AND NEUROSCIENCE POSTDOC AT DARTMOUTH

A postdoctoral position in the area of pain and neuroscience is available in the Anesthesiology Research Laboratory at Dartmouth College, Department of Anesthesiology, Dartmouth Medical School (Lebanon, NH). The NIH-funded project is focused on the molecular mechanisms of spinal cannabinoid receptor type 2 activation for induction of analgesia in models of neuropathic and postoperative pain. The Anesthesiology Research Laboratory is interested in the responses and modulation of glial cell function in pain states. Candidates should have a PhD or MD in the biosciences or a health professional degree.

To apply, send CV, names and contact details of three references, and a brief letter describing your research experience to Dr. Alfonso Romero-Sandoval.

 

STARTUP OPPORTUNITY IN TROPICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES

A life sciences startup exploring novel drug targets in Neglected and Tropical Infectious Diseases (NTID) is searching for a candidate to become a member of its founding team. There are several infectious / tropical diseases that independently do not command adequate market share to justify R&D, but collectively represent a sizeable sector that has remained unfulfilled. We plan to fill this developmental void by leveraging a variety of unconventional funding sources to commercialize our proprietary technology.

The ideal candidate will have a PhD and experience in Biophysics, Structural Biology, Biochemistry or Molecular Biology; industry experience is preferred. Compensation will be in the form of stock and through grant-mechanisms in the near-term. This a part-time opportunity with an expectation that the candidate will work a flexible 10-15 hours per week.

To apply, send CV and letter of interest to ali.munawa@gmail.com.

 

HARVARD PRESIDENT'S INNOVATION FUND FOR INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES

Innovation Fund grants are available to faculty members at any Harvard School to support the development of creative and significant academic experiences for Harvard College students. The grants are part of a generous gift from David Rockefeller to support international experiences for students in the College. Four Innovation Fund proposals were funded in 2008-09, the program's first year. In 2009-10, the selection committee will again fund a handful of proposals, generally in the range of $15,000 to $40,000.

A full overview of the program, including application instructions and summaries of the proposals funded in 2008-09, can be found at the website of the Vice Provost for International Affairs. The application deadline is November 2, 2009.

 

POSTDOC IN ORGAN ENGINEERING AVAILABLE

The Systems-based Consortium for Organ Design & Engineering (SysCODE) has an interdisciplinary postdoctoral fellowship available immediately. SysCODE integrates developmental biology, computational and genome sciences, and tissue engineering to create molecular blueprints for building organ parts from stem cells. As a SysCODE postdoctoral fellow, your interests will span more than one discipline by conducting research in the laboratories of two SysCODE mentors, pursuing questions at the interfaces among disciplines and contributing to the design and engineering of cardiac valves (for valvular heart disease), pancreatic islets (for Type 1 diabetes), or tooth germ (for tooth loss).

Fellows will have a Harvard, MIT, Boston University, or Vanderbilt appointment. To apply, please send your CV and three reference letters to TrainingProgram@SysCODE.org. For more information, see www.SysCODE.org.

 

CONTRACT SCIENTIST POSITION, RNAi LEAD DEVELOPMENT

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has a position for a scientist to perform cell based assays and screen to identify candidate RNAi compounds as part of a high throughput RNAi lead development group. Key responsibilities include: in vitro screens of siRNAs in cultured cells; quantification of the effects of siRNAs on gene expression (RNA and protein levels); cell based assays to evaluate cellular phenotypic changes; and cloning and ectopic expression of genes in mammalian cells.

PhD or BS and MS in molecular biology, with two to three years' experience (preferably in
an industrial setting) required, as is expertise in molecular and cell biology techniques; experience with flow cytometry is desired and experience with liquid handling robotics and automation processes in a
screening environment is a plus.
.
To apply, send CV to mandolino@alnylam.com.

POSTDOC AT MEEI DEVELOPING INNER EAR DRUG DELIVERY DEVICE

Postdoc fellowship available immediately in the Eaton-Peabody Laboratory at Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary to develop an inner ear drug delivery device in animals for ultimate use in patients. The fellow will learn auditory biology with a focus on physiology and pharmacology, and will gain experience in the integration of engineering and biology. The position, in the laboratories of Sharon Kujawa and William Sewell, is focused on interdisciplinary work to develop and test mechanisms for the safe and sustained delivery of bioactive compounds directly to the inner ear.

Candidates should have a recent doctoral level degree. To apply, send CV, statement of research interest, reprints, and contact information for three references to:

Sharon G. Kujawa, PhD
Eaton-Peabody Laboratory
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
243 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114
sharon_kujawa@meei.harvard.edu
                         

MOLECULAR BIO OF HEARING POSTDOC

The Morton laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital has a position available immediately in molecular biology and genetics of hearing research. Projects include characterization of genes expressed in the inner ear in hearing and deafness, analysis of mouse models of human deafness disorders, and genome-wide association studies for presbycusis and noise induced hearing loss.
Qualifications of candidates should include knowledge and expertise in molecular biology. Prior research in the auditory system is desirable but not required.

To apply, send to Dr. Cynthia Morton (cmorton@partners.org) a letter describing your interests and relevant experience, a CV, and the names of three references.

Career Programs

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