Volume 21, Number 17

HST Community Notices

WELCOME TO NEWEST HST BABY, MARTIN PAROT!

Vicente Parot (recent MEMP graduate), his wife Cote, and children Vicente Jr and Laura are excited to welcome baby Martin to the Parot Achurra family. He was born on Saturday, December 28th in the early morning (also his mom's birthday), at 9.2 lb, 21.5 in.

All are doing very well. Pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/UMMeLZr8uGXFtBrRA

A warm welcome and congratulations to the Parot Achurra family!

HST "REPORTERS" REQUESTED

We are always looking for fun photos of our students and community members doing things in groups (MEMP cohort hiking Acadia, MD’s during ICM in a hallway with hairnets, group striking a pose during public service events, etc…) If you are willing to share photos send them to hst-adms-team [at] mit.edu (hst-adms-team[at]mit[dot]edu), you could be HST famous appearing on web pages, brochures or bulletin boards!

We are also looking for leads on interesting HST community stories. Leads on stories can be sent to hst-news [at] mit.edu (hst-news[at]mit[dot]edu) and could become HST News Stories, Spotlights or more! For some examples of past highlights see https://hst.mit.edu/news-and-events/newshttp://hst.mit.edu/people/students/student-highlights and http://hst.mit.edu/people/alumni/memp-alumni-profiles.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD – HST!

Are you traveling for any of the following reasons?

  • Conference/workshop
  • Giving a talk
  • Visiting your alma mater

Can you help promote HST by talking to prospective students?

Contact Laurie Ward (laurie [at] mit.edu (l)aurie [at] mit.edu (aurie[at]mit[dot]edu)) for talking points and promotional materials to distribute.

Course & Academic Resources

IAP 2020: SOME COURSES OF INTEREST

January 2020

HST.020 Musculoskeletal Pathophysiology
http://student.mit.edu/catalog/mHSTa.html#HST.020

HST.164 Principles of Biomedical Imaging
http://student.mit.edu/catalog/mHSTa.html#HST.164

HST.980 Emerging Problems in Infectious Diseases
http://student.mit.edu/catalog/mHSTb.html#HST.980

HST.S56 Special Subject: Introduction to Closed-Loop Control of Physiological Systems
http://student.mit.edu/catalog/mHSTb.html#HST.S56

Non-HST course

15.672 Negotiation Analysis (application required)
More info and application here: http://negotiation.mit.edu/

A full list of HST courses can be found at: http://student.mit.edu/catalog/mHSTa.html

KAVLI INSTITUTE IAP ACTIVITIES

Check out the IAP talks, lab tours, and solar observing activities being offered during the month of January by MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research: 

space.mit.edu/events/ 

student.mit.edu/iap/ns180.html

UROP MENTOR LUNCH WORKSHOP: PREPARING FOR A UROP 

Considering taking on a UROP? Not sure how to find the UROP for you, how to prepare for or mentor one?  Join us for our upcoming UROP mentor workshops.

  • Wednesday, January 8, 2020 
  • Noon-1:30pm

Register: https://forms.gle/HLrRwb3mkvEg41BA6

This workshop is designed for graduate students and post-docs interested in mentoring undergraduate researchers, especially those new to UROP and/or planning to mentor students this year.

The aim is to facilitate discussion about UROP project planning/mentoring best practices, including setting realistic expectations and goals among other topics. Ultimately, we hope this workshop will help foster effective UROP research and mentoring relationships between undergraduates and their mentors.

Those interested in attending should RSVP ASAP, as space is limited. Registrations are accepted on a first-come first-serve basis, and accepted attendees will receive registration confirmations with additional information.

Questions: email UROP [at] mit.edu (UROP[at]mit[dot]edu)

IAP WORKSHOP: PATENT LAW ESSENTIALS: WHAT SCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS & ENTREPRENEURS NEED TO KNOW

Stephen M. Hou, Ryan (Hyunjong) Jin, Julian G. Pymento

  • Friday, January 10, 2020, 2pm-6pm & Saturday, January 11, 2020, 2pm-6pm (repeated sessions)
  • 56-154

Advance sign-up required: https://forms.gle/PD79n67H3HYYXbibA

Sponsor(s):  MIT Graduate Student Council; MIT Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science 

Contact: patent-workshop [at] mit.edu (patent-workshop[at]mit[dot]edu)

Patent protection for inventions is a valuable component of business strategy for startups and established companies. This workshop covers the basics of U.S. patent law, including the patent application process, prosecution, litigation, and licensing. Undergraduates, graduate students, and post-docs in science, engineering, and business are welcome. We will discuss what recent developments in patent law mean for inventors, and draw examples ranging from the computer software to the pharmaceutical industries.

Some questions we will explore:

  • What is the difference between a patent and a trade secret?
  • Which inventions are patentable?
  • What are the "novelty" & "non-obviousness" standards for patentability?
  • How much do I have to disclose to obtain a patent?
  • At what point in the R&D process should I file for a patent?
  • Why am I an author on the paper, but not listed as an inventor on the patent?
  • How are my patent rights affected if I am a researcher at a university or an employee of a company?
  • What if I want a patent, but my co-inventor doesn't (or is deceased)?
  • What is the scope of my patent? What does and doesn't it protect?
  • Why are the sentences in patents so long and difficult to read?
  • What should I do if my patent application is rejected?
  • What are my duties and ethical obligations as an inventor during the application process and prosecution?
  • Who can invalidate my patent after it is granted, and on what grounds?
  • If someone is practicing my patent without my permission, how can I stop them?
  • If I am accused of patent infringement, what recourse do I have?
  • What changes were made to U.S. patent law by the America Invents Act of 2011 and recent court decisions?
  • What issues do I face if I seek patent protection in multiple countries?
  • What questions should I ask my patent attorney?

All members of the MIT community (including alumni) are welcome. Refreshments will be served!

INTRODUCTION TO DEEP LEARNING 6.S191 IAP 2020

MIT’s Introduction to Deep Learning (6.S191) will be running this IAP (January 2020)! This is a great opportunity for those interested in machine learning and/or in gaining practical experience implementing deep learning architectures and algorithms. 

The class is a combination of content-based lectures on neural networks (basics, different architectures and their applications, new frontiers of deep learning research) and practical labs, which will guide students through implementing these algorithms in the popular framework TensorFlow. The course will conclude with a series of guest lectures from leading researchers from Google, IBM, NVIDIA, and Lambda Labs.

  • Monday January 27 - Friday January 31, 2020
  • 1-4pm
  • 32-123

To pre-register: http://registrar.mit.edu/registration-academics/pre-registration

To register after pre-registration closes (Jan 10 at 5pm): MIT students can submit an add-drop form through WEBSIS. 

Class is open to all listeners!

Mailing list: http://eepurl.com/df8UOn

More information: http://introtodeeplearning.com

Contact: introtodeeplearning-staff [at] mit.edu (introtodeeplearning-staff[at]mit[dot]edu)

FLIPPING FAILURE IAP WORKSHOP SERIES

  • Tuesdays & Thursdays, January 9 - 21, 2020 
  • 10am-12pm

Contact: Richard Zhang (zrichard [at] mit.edu (zrichard[at]mit[dot]edu)

Description:

Have you ever faced an academic challenge and wished you could share your story of resilience with peers?

Join us for the IAP Workshop Series! Flipping Failure is a collection of video stories told by MIT students about their path towards resilience when faced with challenge at MIT. 

The goal of this community initiative is two-fold: 1) to “flip" the conversation around struggle from something to be ashamed of to something that is part of the human experience; 2) to share positive coping strategies so that students can help other students discover their own path towards resilience and self-acceptance.

The IAP workshop series will bring together a cohort of undergraduate and graduate students who wish to contribute their story of resilience to the Flipping Failure video collection.

Workshop participants will have the opportunity to reflect on and share their experiences with a small community of peers in a safe environment.

Participants will:

- meet a cohort of peers who share a desire to help their community,

- receive coaching from storytelling experts,

- learn about some research-based coping strategies to further bolster their resilience,

- and film their stories to share with the MIT community

Breakfast snacks and lunch will be provided each day.

All MIT graduate students are welcome to apply.

INNOVATING IN HEALTHCARE FOR MISSION IMPACT

MIT Catalyst Spring 2020 is an opportunity for Fellows to join multidisciplinary teams that collaborate to deeply understand real unmet needs and develop solutions in healthcare that lead to viable action plans for innovations with high potential for impact. Fellows learn about the Catalyst Methodology process while addressing high priority challenges.

The focus for the Spring 2020 cohort is on: access to healthcare, patient and caregiver safety, and prevention, detection, and treatment of mental health conditions.

The program is open to ALL in the Greater Boston area--early stage professionals, postdocs, fellows, graduate students, clinical, and other professional degree candidates, advanced undergraduates, engineers, scientists, designers, entrepreneurs, MBAs--anyone with interest and willingness to spend time in research, innovation, and health. No need to know anything about the focus areas.

Sessions will be held on Mondays, 9am-12pm, January 6, to June 29, 2020. The overall time commitment is about 10 hours per week.

Read more in the Catalyst Spring 2020 Overview.

Please feel free to forward this to friends or colleagues who might be interested in the program.

Do not hesitate to contact Melissa Parrillo (MIT Catalyst Program Manager, parrillo [at] mit.edu (parrillo[at]mit[dot]edu), 617-715-2562)  if you would like to learn more about the program, have questions, or would consider being part of the Independent Advisory Panel.

Thank you for your interest in MIT Catalyst!

UPCOMING EVENTS FROM THE TEACHING + LEARNING LAB (TLL)

Information about upcoming workshops for graduate students and postdocs can be found here.

If you have any questions about programs and resources available to graduate students through the TLL, contact Ben Hansberry, Asst. Director for Graduate Student Teaching, bhansber [at] mit.edu (bhansber[at]mit[dot]edu)

Subscribe here to the TLL Newsletter.

HARVARD INNOVATION LABS CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Information about the Harvard i-lab and it's upcoming events and activities can be found here.

COMMUNITY WELLNESS AT MIT OFFERINGS

Community Wellness at MIT Medical works with the entire MIT community to provide the resources and programs that can help you make healthy choices.

Offerings include: Koru Mindfulness, Creating the Healthy Life You Want, and many other wellness classes.

Visit the Community Wellness website for more information and sign up for their newsletter.

Conferences, Lectures & Seminars

INVITATION: SPECIAL EVENT WITH DR. NEENA NIZAR

We are very excited to announce a Special Event with Neena Nizar, EdD from the Jansen’s Foundation, and physician-scientist Harald Jueppner, MD.

  • Wednesday, January 8, 2020
  • 5:30-7pm 
  • TMEC 227 (Note: Room change)

Dinner will be served.

Please RSVP to mdphd [at] hms.harvard.edu (mdphd[at]hms[dot]harvard[dot]edu) by Friday, January 3rd.

Dr. Nizar, Founder and President of Jansen’s Foundation, has Jansen’s metaphyseal chondrodysplasia, an ultra-rare skeletal dysplasia that is caused by an activating mutation in the parathyroid hormone receptor. Both of her sons also have this debilitating disease.  Dr. Nizar is a tremendous advocate for this community and for rare disease research in general.  With a very sophisticated understanding of her disease and paths towards developing therapeutics, Dr. Nizar offers a tremendous opportunity to learn more about the challenges of translational science and pathways to translating research into patient care. 

Dr. Jueppner, Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of Pediatric Renal Unit at MGH, defined the mutation in PTH1R that causes this disease and is a leading expert in Jansen’s metaphyseal chondrodysplasia. 

Joining Dr. Jueppner for this discussion with Dr. Nizar will be Drs. Mary Bouxsein and Marc Wein. Dr. Bouxsein, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Director for the Center for Advanced Orthopaedic Studies at BIDMC, is an expert in bone biomechanics and advanced musculoskeletal imaging. Dr. Wein, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Endocrine Unit at MGH, is an endocrinologist whose laboratory studies signaling mechanisms downstream of the parathyroid hormone receptor.  

We hope you will be able to join us!

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: YALE SUMMER BIOETHICS PROGRAM

The 4-day “Foundations in Bioethics” will run from June 9-12. There is also a 7-week Summer Institute in Bioethics (June 8-July 25) that provides up to 200 contact hours.

The Summer Institute is known for its engaging and approachable faculty, an enthusiastic alumni network, and opportunities to network with faculty and participants from all over the globe (over 25 countries were represented last year-from all continents).

Students have a wide range of choices for seminar topics, which include Medical Ethics, Ethics of Climate Change, Policy Analysis for Bioethicists, Medical Humanities (in both Spanish and English), Bioethics and the Law, Public Health Ethics, Military Ethics, Animal Ethics, Moral Reasoning, Ethics of Information, Tech-Ethics, and so much more.  A link to our 2019 seminars is here.

All students present a poster at Yale School of Medicine at the end of the program, and some students work 1:1 with faculty to write an academic publication during the program.

Several students from recent classes recently presented their work at Oxford, UNESCO, and other renowned bioethics conferences.

Pricing is very affordable, and admissions are rolling. Please feel free to contact us at bioethics [at] Yale.edu (bioethics[at]Yale[dot]edu) to discuss the program, and you may learn more here: http://bioethics.yale.edu/summer

Finally, we have a number of engaging Youtube videos with our enthusiastic faculty. We encourage you to view them here.

MEDTECH BOSTON INFORMATION SOURCE & CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Boston has long been known as a medical mecca of scientific discovery. Boston’s healthcare professionals and administrators are adopting practices from other high-risk and service industries. The ‘big data’ movement is thriving, fundamentally changing our healthcare delivery systems. Digital health investments are higher than ever before. Medical hackathons and un-conferences are now an every-weekend occurrence. And both redesign and innovation promise to change medicine as we know it. It’s all happening right here, right now. But the problem is that many of us don’t know it. Despite Boston’s innovative energy and a solid medical infrastructure, many medical providers and health care entrepreneurs remain in the dark about the opportunities, events and work happening in and around the city of Boston – and across the country. That’s where we come in.

At Medtech Boston, we highlight exciting medical innovation work in and around the city of Boston. We aim to start a discussion about the most exciting and controversial new healthcare offerings, igniting a new reputation for Boston as a city with first-class medical research and patient care, but also as a city full of passionate people who use new technology to think big thoughts about medicine’s most pressing problems.

More organizational information and event postings from Medtech Boston is available here.

MIT GLOBAL HEALTH AND MEDICAL HUMANITIES INITIATIVE (GHMHI) UPCOMING EVENTS

The goal of the Global Health and Medical Humanities Initiative (GHMHI) is to provide MIT students the training to analyze critically the determinants of health and roles of medicine in society from historical and cross-cultural perspectives.

Global Health programs in medical schools, schools of public health, and universities and colleges across the U.S. emphasize how biomedical training, research, and practice, as well as interdisciplinary collaborations beyond the health sciences, are necessary to improve the determinants of health—whether social, political, economic, or biological.

Medical Humanities is a subfield of medicine that draws on the humanities, arts, and social sciences to analyze medical education and clinical practice.

Find more information and a calendar of upcoming events at http://ghmhi.mit.edu/.

BRAINMAP SEMINARS

Future topics will be similar to the previous Brainmap season, with some talks on Optogenetics, MR-PET, BOLD physiology, ultra-high field MRI, multimodal integration, contrast agents, and many more exciting topics! Unless otherwise noted, seminars are held on Wednesdays at noon in seminar room CNY2204, MGH/Charlestown, Building 149.

Brainmap website: http://www.martinos.org/training/brainmap

A schedule of upcoming Brainmap Seminars can be found at: https://www.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/calendar

To sign up for the mailing list, please go to: https://mail.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/mailman/listinfo/brainmap

Student Opportunities

GSC HARPOON BREWERY TOUR AND BEER HALL DINNER

  • Friday, January 10, 2020
  • 5-8pm (please arrive at 4:45pm)
  • Harpoon Brewery, 306 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210

Ticket: $27/person. Sale is now happening! Link: https://mit.universitytickets.com/w/

Enjoy an extended tour (50min) and sample freshly-brewed and UFO beers.

Then have a dinner in the beer hall with one complimentary beer, many delicious pretzels, fancy cheese boards and veggie hummus plates to pair with your pint. Additional food beverages are available for purchase (last call 7:30pm).

Check the menu here.
Strict 21+ event. Each student can purchase up to 2 tickets and the guest does not need to be MIT affiliated.

Email gsc-ac [at] mit.edu (gsc-ac[at]mit[dot]edu) if you have any questions.

STUDENT RESEARCH SURVEY RESPONSES NEEDED

Joseph Elsherbini is a microbiology graduate student at MIT. He is working to understand the needs and resources for MIT researchers in Data Analysis and Computation. Please take the following 5 minutes survey, it would really help him out!

Please respond here.

MICROSOFT HEALTHCARE SUMMER INTERNSHIP OPENINGS

Summer internships are available at MicrosoftHealthcare.

Feel free to explore these through the Medical Devices Group (http://medicaldevices.azurewebsites.net/)

Internship Postings:

Hemodynamic Modeling (https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/job/759596/Research-Intern-Medical-Devices)
Photonics (https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/job/759612/Research-Intern-Medical-Devices)
Medical Device Generalist (https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/job/735015/Research-Intern-Medical-Devices)

MIT SCIENCE POLICY REVIEW SEEKING WRITERS

Are you interested in publishing essays on science policy topics? 

A number of MIT students are interested in starting a platform that publishes essays by the MIT community that take complicated scientific/technological concepts and convey them in a jargon-free and accessible way. These essays would be targeted towards different stakeholders, such as the general public, elected officials, members of the executive branch, etc. This “MIT Science Policy Review” is envisioned to look something like the Harvard Law Review for science policy.

We’re looking to find MIT students interested in writing essays on the following topics: 

1.    Energy Policy and Transforming the Energy Economy

2.    Gene Editing

3.    Gender Discrimination and the “Pipeline” Problem in Science and Business

4.    A Carbon Tax and the Carbon Marketplace 

5.    International Scientific Collaborations

6.    Nuclear Weapons Policy

7.    Drug Pricing 

8.    Federal Funding of Scientific Research

9.    Digital Currency and Cryptocurrency 

10.  Machine Learning 

We are also accepting pitches on topics outside of those listed above. The topics for each semesterly edition of the MIT Science Policy Review will change, so if you are interested in a topic not listed above, it may be possible to publish it in a future edition. Additionally, we are looking for people interested in providing design, communications, and technology support.

If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out to me directly at jharrod@mit edu for information on our first meeting.

OFFICE OF GRADUATE EDUCATION - FELLOWSHIP WORKSHOPS & FINANCIAL LITERACY RESOURCES

Upcoming OGE Financial Literacy Workshops

Investing Part II- April 3rd, 11:30 to 12:30 in 68-181. Adam Grenier CFP, Fidelity Investments.

Topics covered: Asset allocation, asset location, understanding market and economic business cycles.

Visit the OGE website (https://oge.mit.edu/finances/financial-literacy/workshops/) to find out about financial literacy workshops.

iGrad
OGE also offers the free iGrad Financial Literacy platform (offered in collaboration with the MIT Federal Credit Union). Customized for MIT with videos, articles, games,  job board, searchable scholarship database, and interactive modules on a wide range of topics, including emergency-funding, credit card management, identity protection, spending-smarts, etc. it is a great financial literacy tool for students and the MIT community in general. More information can be found at https://iGrad.com/schools/MIT.

OGE’s Website Financial Literacy and Fellowship section updates
A new Financial Literacy section has been added to the website - https://oge.mit.edu/finances/financial-literacy/

Check out the updated fellowships section at https://oge.mit.edu/finances/fellowships/ especially the Fellowships Tips content at https://oge.mit.edu/finances/fellowships/fellowship-tips/

MIT Credit Union Events

https://www.mitfcu.org/Financial-Retirement/Event-Calendar

MIT GRADUATE STUDENT ROADMAP

The nearly 7,000 graduate students at MIT are one of the most talented scholarly cohorts in the world. Their educational experiences on campus go beyond just research.

In April 2017, when Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart brought together the offices of graduate and undergraduate education into the new OVC, the goal was to enhance existing services and identify new ways to provide every student, from orientation through commencement, with an exceptional student life and learning experience.

To help us meet our charge, we have been listening and responding to the ideas and concerns of MIT’s graduate students, and we have started to build stronger connections between members of the OVC team and the Division of Student Life (DSL).

Based upon meetings with graduate students in small and large groups, we have identified shared goals:

  • strengthening the support network for graduate students and their families;
  • addressing pain points associated with the cost and supply of housing; and
  • enhancing diversity and inclusion, advising, and professional development programs and services.

The Road Ahead

To achieve our goals, we have launched a series of initiatives, known collectively as the Graduate Student Roadmap, as part of a strategic effort to improve the graduate student experience at MIT.

Find more information about the Graduate Student Roadmap here.

GRADUATE COMMUNITY FELLOWS POSITIONS

Graduate Community Fellows are a cadre of graduate students who work on projects and assignments that enhance graduate community in unique ways. Each Fellow reports to a staff member in the OGE or in a partner organization, and focuses on a specific project. 

Graduate Community Fellows will receive a stipend of $675 per month for the duration of the appointment period as compensation for an average of 10 hours a week.

Applications for open positions should be submitted to program administrator jlandry [at] mit.edu (Jessica Landry).  They will be reviewed as they are submitted; positions will be filled ASAP.

For program details and a list of current positions visit: https://oge.mit.edu/community/gcf/

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OFFICE NEWSLETTER

Read current and past issues of the ISO Newsletter here. For non-students, you can also subscribe to receive published copies by email.

OGE - DIVERSITY INITIATIVES NEWSLETTER

The Office for Graduate Education (OGE) Diversity Initiatives hopes your semester is off to a good start! The intent of our newsletter is to serve you so that you feel that the graduate community at MIT is a place where you feel at home; you are welcomed, you belong and you matter. 

Read current and past issues of the MIT OGE Diversity Initiatives Newsletter here.

MIT GRADUATE ASSISTANCE INFORMATION NETWORK (GAIN)

MIT Graduate Assistance Information Network (GAIN) is a free 24/7 network of professionals who provide life management resources and referrals to help make life easier for MIT Graduate Students and families.

MIT GAIN services, which are available at no cost to you and your family, include:

  • Legal consultation
  • Financial consultation
  • Child care resources and personalized research and referrals
  • Elder care resources and personalized research and referrals
  • Relocation guidance
  • School/summer camp selection for children in grades K–12
  • Nutrition counseling
  • Career assessment
  • Resources for other life concerns, such as moving services, home repair and cleaning services, pet care, fitness programs & trainers, and more.

Take advantage of these additional MIT Work-Life programs and resources:

Find more information here.

MIT CONNECT

MIT CONNECT: Free one-on-one Lunches

Are you interested in having lunch with fellow MIT students, faculty, staff and alumni this semester? MIT Connect is designed to create a more connected campus by arranging for friendly, informal, platonic lunches between individuals from all over campus, and all walks of life. We are providing $10 in Tech Cash towards selected lunches for participating students!

Sign-up here: http://connected.mit.edu/

Feel free to contact us with question, comments, or concerns at questions [at] connected.mit.edu (questions[at]connected[dot]mit[dot]edu)

PEER 2 PEER STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICE

Need Someone To Listen?

Whether you’re having a bad day or just want someone to talk to, Peer2Peer’s community of MIT students is here for you.

Log in and chat anonymously about whatever’s on your mind with someone who really understands.

peer2peer.mit.edu

LET'S CHAT PROGRAM

A new program has started that is designed to help students who may be in need of support and direction, but who are reluctant to visit MIT Medical, or engage with S^3 or OGE.  

Called “Let’s Chat,” this outreach, which was originally announced by Cindy Barnhart in her recent message about various student support initiatives, offers a drop-in counseling office two hours daily from Tuesday through Thursday each week, in 8-316. Students who want a low-energy-barrier way to talk to someone can sign up for one of several 20-minute sessions available from 1-3 pm Tuesdays through Fridays. The goal is to make it as easy as possible for students to reach out for help they might need, so no advance appointment is necessary; students sign up for a 20-minute time slot by simply marking an “X” on one of the designated times on the daily schedule, which will be posted outside the door to 8-316.  

This service will be staffed by clinicians from Mental Health, and is open to ALL students — graduate, undergraduate, any department. Urgent situations should continue to be routed to MH walk-in or urgent care; “Let’s Chat” will focus on listening to students taking the first step to request support, and on providing referrals when necessary.

COMMUNITY SERVICE WEEKLY BULLETIN

At the heart of the MIT mission statement is a call to serve the nation and the world—and this charge is embodied by the MIT Public Service Center. Every year, we send thousands of students into communities locally, across the nation, and around the globe to apply their skills and knowledge for the betterment of humankind. In the Institute's best traditions of hands-on experience, entrepreneurial spirit, and creative problem solving, these students donate their time, create new technologies, form communities and companies—and ultimately change lives everywhere they go.

As part of MIT's Division of Student Life, we provide a central point of communication and support for the outreach and humanitarian efforts of the MIT community. We engage students, alumni, staff, faculty, and others in life-changing initiatives and social entrepreneurship ventures that provide needed resources to individuals and communities.

Sign up for the weekly Community Service Bulletin of Events and Programs here.

News and upcoming events are posted on the homepage.

Professional Opportunities

TENURE TRACK FACULTY POSITION - CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH

The newly established department of Biomedical Engineering at California State University, Long Beach invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level in the areas of Biomedical Signal Processing, Bio-instrumentation or Bio-sensors. Exceptional candidates in other areas within Biomedical Engineering will be considered, as well.

California State University, Long Beach, College Of Engineering, Department Of Biomedical Engineering 

http://www.csulb.edu/college-of-engineering/biomedical-engineering

RECRUITMENT # 2583
The Department of Biomedical Engineering at California State University, Long Beach invites outstanding individuals to apply for an open faculty position at the Assistant Professor rank, in the areas of Bioinstrumentation/Biosensors/Biomedical Signal Processing. The effective date would be August 17, 2020.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering or related area with emphasis in Bioinstrumentation, Biosensors or Biomedical Signal Processing. Degree at time of application or official notification of completion of the doctoral degree by August 1, 2020. Demonstrated potential for effective teaching at both undergraduate and graduate levels of Biomedical Engineering. Demonstrated potential for successful research, scholarly and creative activities. Demonstrated commitment to working successfully with a diverse student population.

DESIRED/PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: At least two years of effective teaching experience in undergraduate and/or graduate level courses in Biomedical Engineering. Post-Doc experience in Bioinstrumentation/Biosensors or Biomedical Signal Processing.

DUTIES: Teach undergraduate and graduate courses and conduct laboratory experiments. Develop and maintain curriculum. Engage in ongoing research and scholarly activities in Bioinstrumentation/Biosensors or Biomedical Signal Processing that lead to publications and external funding. Provide student advising and mentoring. Participate in service to the department, college, university, and community.

CSULB seeks to recruit faculty who enthusiastically support the University’s strong commitment to the academic success of all of our students, including students of color, students with disabilities, students who are first generation to college, veterans, students with diverse socio-economic backgrounds, and students of diverse sexual orientations and gender expressions. CSULB seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the People of California, to maintain the excellence of the University, and to offer our students a rich variety of expertise, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.

Information on excellent benefits package available to CSULB faculty is located here:

http://www.calstate.edu/hr/benefits/documents/cfa-unit-3-benefits-summary.pdf

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION:

  • An Equity and Diversity Statement about your teaching or other experiences, successes, and challenges in working with a diverse student population (maximum two pages, single-spaced). For further information and guidelines, please visit: http://www.csulb.edu/EquityDiversityStatement
  • Letter of application addressing the required and preferred qualifications
  • CV (including current email address)
  • Names and contact information for three references
  • Copy of transcript from institution awarding highest degree
  • Teaching Statement describing your philosophy and experiences in teaching a diverse student population
  • Research Statement describing your research accomplishments and future plans
  • Finalists will also be required to submit a signed SC-1 form, three current letters of recommendation, and an official transcript

Applications and required documentation shall be submitted through Academic Jobs Online at: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/14515

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Dr. Shadnaz Asgari, Chair California State University, Long Beach Department of Biomedical Engineering 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840-8306, (562) 985 2849 or shadnaz.asgari [at] csulb.edu (shadnaz[dot]asgari[at]csulb[dot]edu)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Review of applications to begin January 6, 2020 Position opened until filled (or recruitment canceled)

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS:

A background check (including a criminal record check and telephone reference check with most recent employer) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.

The person holding this position is considered a “mandated reporter” under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 Revised July 21, 2017 as a condition of employment.

____________

CSULB is committed to creating a community in which a diverse population can learn, live, and work in an atmosphere of tolerance, civility and respect for the rights and sensibilities of each individual, without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, medical condition, age, Vietnam era veteran status, or any other veteran's status. CSULB is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN THE PAGANETTI LAB - MGH

Open Position for a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Paganetti Lab at MGH

We seek a postdoctoral fellow with a strong background in physics or computer science for an innovative research project at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology (Physics Division). Experience in coding (e.g., CUDA, C++, python) is expected.

The successful candidate will work on the development of on-line adaptive proton therapy. We plan to achieve this goal by simultaneously developing fast hardware and GPU based software tools that take advantage of in-room prompt gamma and cone-beam CT imaging in combination with fast Monte Carlo dose calculation. We will combine this technology with a novel framework for treatment optimization in intensity-modulated proton therapy.

MGH is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity highly and encourage international and minority candidates to apply.

To apply, please email your CV and arrange for 3 letters of recommendations to be sent.

Harald Paganetti, PhD FAAPM
Professor and Director of Physics Research
Department of Radiation Oncology
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
100 Blossom St
Boston, MA 02114
hpaganetti [at] mgh.harvard.edu (hpaganetti[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)

PROJECT OPENING: GEORGE CHURCH LAB

George Church Lab (http://arep.med.harvard.edu/gmc/) - Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Harvard Medical School, affiliated with Harvard-MIT HST, Broad Institute, MIT Media Lab

Project: Haplotype-aware de novo assembly of related individuals

Scientific question. Humans are diploid, and hence there exist two versions of each chromosome, one inherited from the mother and the other from the father. Determining the DNA sequences of these two chromosomal copies---called haplotypes ---is important for many applications ranging from population history to clinical questions. Existing sequencing technologies cannot read a chromosome from start to end, but instead deliver small pieces of sequence (called reads ). Like in a jigsaw puzzle, the underlying genome sequences are reconstructed from the reads by finding the overlaps between them. However, current standard approaches cannot produce the sequences of both haplotypes but “collapse” them to obtain one consensus sequence. We develop algorithms to solve the genome assembly for diploids, that is, “to simultaneously solve two jigsaw puzzles with very similar yet different images”. Furthermore, we want to incorporate the pedigree information in the underlying model to generate diploid assemblies for related individuals. At the application side, the main question is how much read data is required for related individuals as opposed to single individual.

Approach. Due to the sequencing errors in the reads, heterozygous and repetitive genomic regions, the assembly problem is challenging. Over the past few decades, researchers solved it by casting it as an overlap graph problem, where nodes are the reads and edges represent the overlap between reads. To detect regions where the two haplotypes differ (called heterozygosity), we look for simple local structures called bubbles. A bubble is a type of directed acyclic subgraph with single distinct source and sink vertices that consists of multiple edges (with the same direction) between these pair of vertices. Once bubbles have been identified, they are simplified by removing structures most likely resulting from sequencing errors. The resulting bubbles can then be used to solve the “phasing problem”: find two paths that correspond to the sought haplotypes for every individual in a pedigree.

Tasks.

1. Investigate local structures (bubbles) in assembly graphs.

2. Formalize the problem of removing erroneous structures due to sequencing errors.

3. An efficient algorithm to detect bubbles that represent regions of heterozygosity.

4. Develop an efficient approach for phasing bubble chains in a joint framework for pedigrees

Relevant papers.

1. A graph-based approach to diploid genome assembly, ISMB 2018/Bioinformatics

(https://academic.oup.com/bioinformatics/article/34/13/i105/5045759)

2. Read-based phasing of related individuals, ISMB 2016/ Bioinformatics

(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4908360/)

Requirements.

1. Programming: C++, python, shell scripting

2. Basic knowledge of bioinformatic tools

3. Enthusiasm to solve the problem - Possible to work remotely, with regular meetings on the MIT/Harvard campus.

What you will get:

- Extensive mentorship in computational methods

- Knowledge of how, conceptually, we can solve biological problems using computational methods.

- The opportunity to work in a diverse environment that includes people with vastly different, but complementary skill sets.

- Responsibility and satisfaction of owning your own project.

You will be directly working with postdoc:

Shilpa Garg, Algorithms in Computational Genomics, HMS

Candidates will be called for a short discussion (interview) to access your creativity, reasoning, and problem solving skills.

Please contact Shilpa Garg (shilpa_garg [at] hms.harvard.edu (shilpa_garg[at]hms[dot]harvard[dot]edu)shilpa.garg2k7 [at] gmail.com (shilpa[dot]garg2k7[at]gmail[dot]com)) and include your CV if you’re interested in inventing the future of biology using computational techniques.

POSTDOCTORAL OPENING IN LU LAB - MGH/HMS

A postdoctoral position is immediately available in the laboratory of Dr. Hua Jenny Lu at the Renal Division, Department of Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Funding is available for two years, with extended funding possible.  This position will focus on one of these three projects: 1) study beta1 integrin-extracellular matrix signaling in kidney collecting duct epithelial cells that mediates interstitial fibrosis of the kidney; 2) characterize the function of a novel gene in regulating kidney inflammation and podocyte metabolism that contributes to the development of proteinuria kidney diseases. 3) Characterize micro-environmental alteration in calcific vasculopathy in mice and patients of chronic kidney diseases. We are applying in vitro, exo vivo and various animal models using comprehensive and state of the art technologies to interrogate mechanism of kidney injury and repair. 

The candidates should hold a PhD or/and MD degree within biology, cellular, molecular biology and biochemistry, or physiology. Experience with cell culture, basic biochemical techniques, immunocytochemistry, western blotting and qRT-PCR is essential. Experience with animal study is an advantage. Candidate of either US citizen or a green card holder are particularly encouraged to apply. If interested, please submit your CV and contact information for three references to Dr. Jenny Lu at lu.hua [at] mgh.harvard.edu (lu[dot]hua[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu).

INSIGHT FELLOWS PROGRAMS

Apply to the Insight Fellows Program by February 10: https://apply.insightdatascience.com

The Insight Fellows Programs are tuition-free fellowships for graduating students looking to transition to thriving careers as data scientists, engineers, and other cutting-edge professionals.

Insight Fellows:

- Pay no tuition; the program is fully funded by top companies
- Meet, interview, and join top companies
- Launch a cutting-edge career where the average starting salary is $125K
- Join a network of over 2000 industry leaders

Insight alumni are now working at Facebook, LinkedIn, The New York Times, Apple, Airbnb, Netflix, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Github, Slack, 23andMe, Twitter, Bloomberg, NBC, Pinterest, Microsoft, Wayfair and 700+ other top companies.

Programs:
          - Artificial Intelligence
          - Data Engineering
          - DevOps Engineering
          - Decentralized Consensus
          - Security
          - Data Science*
          - Health Data Science*

*Please note that our programs are open to all degree levels, except our Data Science and Health programs, which have a PhD requirement

Locations:
          -Silicon Valley
          -New York
          -Boston
          -Seattle
          -Toronto
          -Los Angeles
          -Remote Program

Upcoming Deadline & Start Date:

- Application deadline: February 10, 2020 

- Session begins: May 26, 2020

Learn more & apply: https://apply.insightdatascience.com

Not ready to apply? Sign up for our notification list: https://notify.insightdatascience.com/notify

Questions? Email us at info [at] insightdatascience.com (info[at]insightdatascience[dot]com)

LABSHARES NEWTON

We are excited to announce the launch of LabShares Newton, the first collaborative laboratory and biotech incubator in Newton, Massachusetts. LabShares provides a fully equipped laboratory, office space, and shared services to entrepreneurial biotechs without the hassle, lag time, and high upfront costs associated with building and managing their own labs. 

Through participation in the LabShares community, members receive a wide range of benefits and services. LabShares is conveniently located in a light-filled, modern office park near the Charles River -- just 15 minutes from Kendall Square with free parking, a gym, and a Fooda cafeteria.

LabShares is near capacity for its current space and has begun an expansion to double in size. We expect to open our newly renovated second floor in early 2019 and are accepting reservations now.

Check out the links below for more information. If you would like to schedule a tour contact Jenna Stein (jenna [at] labshares.com (jenna[at]labshares[dot]com), 857-222-5817).

LabShares Website

LabShares Press Release

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)

The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education offers an extensive range of clinical research training opportunities to prepare the next generation of clinician-scientists. Brief descriptions of the programs are provided below. As world’s largest biomedical research agency, the NIH encourages future clinician-scientists and medical researchers to consider adding an NIH experience to their portfolio.

Graduate Medical Education
NIH currently sponsor 17 medical specialty or subspecialty programs which have been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). We also jointly sponsor clinical training programs with extramural training partners, to include Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, and the National Capital Consortium. In addition, we sponsor numerous "one of kind" translational medicine fellowship training programs. https://cc.nih.gov/training/gme/programs1.html

Clinical Elective Programs
Short term—4 to 12 week—clinically oriented elective rotations for senior medical and dental students; unique mentored specialty/subspecialty clinical research rotations are also available for combined program students (i.e., MD/PhD, DO/PhD). https://cc.nih.gov/training/students/clinical_electives.html

Resident Elective Programs
Provides an experience with direct care of patients enrolled in investigational protocols at the NIH.  In addition to patient care responsibilities, resident physicians will have exposure to the design, conduct, and management of investigational protocols, including clinical trials. https://cc.nih.gov/training/physicians/info.html

Clinical and Translational Research Course for Ph.D. Students
Two-week intensive introductory course to demonstrate the role of PhD scientists in clinical and translational research, provide an overview and examples of how basic science and clinical observations lead to translational research, and increase awareness and access to Ph.D. role models, research resources, and potential career opportunities at the NIH. https://cc.nih.gov/training/phdcourse/index.html

Postdoctoral Research Training AwardsProvides the opportunity for recent doctoral degree recipients to enhance their research skills in the resource-rich National Institutes of Health (NIH) environment, which consists of more than 1200 laboratories/research projects. https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/postdoc_irp

Graduate Partnerships Program
This program is designed to bring PhD graduate students to the NIH Intramural Research Program for dissertation research. https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/gpp

Core Curriculum in Clinical Research
Free courses offered include: Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research (IPPCR); Principles of Clinical Pharmacology (PCP); and Ethical and Regulatory Aspects of Clinical Research. These courses are offered as distance learning courses. https://cc.nih.gov/training/training1.html

IIE EU - U.S.  EDUCATION COOPERATION FOR RESEARCHERS

For information on EU – U.S. cooperation in doctoral and postdoctoral education opportunities for U.S. researchers and organizations. Visit IIE online at www.iie.org. Please contact the programs directly for additional information or with any questions you may have.

A quote from a recent Fulbright U.S. student, "My advice to Fulbrighters of the future is that which was given to me. Go at it with an open mind; your experience will not be anything like you predicted and will mark you indelibly, but it will be great."

Career & Financial Guidance Programs

MCKINSEY & COMPANY: 2020 POSITIONS

Learn
Please visit our Advanced Professional Degree Showcase site for more information about offices & practices, diversity & inclusion, and recruiting timelines geared toward Advanced Professional Degree candidates.

You may also be interested in exploring our Careers quiz to learn more about roles available that match your skill set and interests.

Apply
Please apply on McKinsey's career website for the following opportunities:

  • 2020 full time Associate role: PhDs, postdocs, MDs, JDs, and master's degree* candidates who plan to complete their program between December 2019 and December 2020 (or 2021 for MDs only)
  • 2020 Summer Associate intern role: JDs only who are graduating in 2021
  • 2020 MD Fellow role: Medical students who are entering their third year of school (2021 graduates)

If you have a passion for digital and technology topics, consider joining Digital McKinsey by selecting Digital McKinsey (and an office) in the office preference section of the Associate application.

*If you are pursuing a masters degree and have earned an undergraduate degree fewer than four years ago, you will join as a business analyst. If you hold a bachelors degree and have at least four years of work experience, or completed or expect to complete your master's degree within four years of receiving your bachelor's degree, you will join as an associate.

Prepare
We want you to succeed in the interview process and believe you have the skills to do so. We provide support to all candidates who interview with us. You can find more information about our interview process, including practice cases on our careers website.

MIT ALUMNI ADVISORS HUB - ADVISING OPPORTUNITY FOR MIT STUDENTS

The MIT Alumni Advisors Hub is an online platform that students can use to ask for advice when they need it—from MIT alumni around the world. Students can get advice on their job and internship search, conduct a mock interview or informational interview, explore career paths and future entrepreneurial pursuits, and navigating life at MIT.

Sign up to gain access to a community of alumni who are eager to share their advice at https://alumniadvisors.mit.edu/.

Find an advisor today!

UPCOMING MIT CAREER FAIRS

Find out more information about career fairs here at MIT.

GENIUSMESH JOB SEARCH PLATFORM

We all know that 75-80% of the jobs are not posted anywhere and most of these jobs are filled through referrals and networking. It takes months to network and find the right opportunities. Neerja Bharti, Sloan EMBA 15 has launched GeniusMesh to solve that particular problem within the MIT ecosystem.

GeniusMesh is a trusted job search platform that connects MIT AlumCos (companies founded or with current alumni) with MIT candidates looking for Sr. Manager to Executive roles. Being a trusted site for both parties, finding the right candidate for an existing job search or future potential opportunity becomes easy. You would be able to find a contract, contract to hire or full-time opportunities faster. Both local, as well as international candidates, would be able to take advantage of our platform.

“Our ultimate goal is to create an intimate and trusted hiring environment by making it easier for any MIT-affiliated graduate to connect with the right companies, and alums to find top talent faster”

Please sign up and let us know what you are looking for and we will bring the right opportunities to you. You would also be able to search part-time and full-time jobs in stealth mode. We don’t share your profile without your permission.

Joining the platform today will just take a couple of minutes! www.geniusmesh.com

Please contact Neerja directly at Neerja [at] geniusmesh.com (Neerja[at]geniusmesh[dot]com) if you have any questions.

MIT'S IGRAD FINANCIAL LITERACY & CAREER RESOURCES PORTAL

The OGE sponsors MIT's iGrad financial literacy portal, with resources to help with financial support.

The iGrad Financial Literacy platform (offered for free to the entire MIT community in collaboration with the MIT Federal Credit Union) is customized for MIT with videos, articles, games,  job board, searchable scholarship database, and interactive modules on a wide range of topics, including emergency-funding, credit card management, identity protection, spending smarts, etc. it is a great financial literacy tool for students and the MIT community in general.

More information can be found at oge.mit.edu/finances     

GRADUATE STUDENT CAREER EVENTS - WEBSITE & CALENDAR

For those who are looking for other resources, recordings of career related workshops and sessions for grad students available here: http://capd.mit.edu

The CAPD Event calendar can be found here. 

Sign up for the Graduate Student Career Advising mailing list here.

CAPD OFFERS THE VERSATILE PHD RESOURCE TOOL

MIT Career Advising & Professional Development (CAPD) is pleased to announce MIT’s subscription to The Versatile PhD, a web-based resource for PhDs considering careers beyond academia. Our subscription, generously supported by OGE, can be accessed by students and alumni via CAPD’s webpage and student CareerBridge accounts. Once students register, they can simply log in to the site directly (www.versatilephd.com) 

MIT CAREERBRIDGE

There are hundreds of jobs and internships now posted on CareerBridge, under both the Job Search and the On-Campus Interviews tabs. Check both tabs and apply as soon as possible.

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