Volume 22, Number 5

HST Community Notices

ANTI-RACISM DAILY INFO SESSION

Monday, October 5, 5pm

Mark your calendar for an engaging information session with Nicole Cardoza, founder of the Anti-Racism Daily newsletter. The zoom link will be distributed to the IMES/HST Community via email. For more information, please contact Julie at jgreenbe [at] mit.edu (jgreenbe[at]mit[dot]edu).

MIT & HARVARD COVID-19 RESOURCES

Find a full list here: https://hst.mit.edu/covid-19-resources

UPDATE YOUR STUDENT DIRECTORY PROFILE ON THE HST WEBSITE

The HST website now has a searchable student profile directory (restricted to HST students, faculty and staff). We hope this will be a great resource for students to connect over research interests, shared hobbies, questions about lab search, etc. All students have a skeleton profile with name, start year, degree program and school email address, other available fields are opt in.  Please consider logging on via Touchstone and updating your profile (available fields include: photo, personal email, personal website, PI, research interest keywords, hometown, hobbies, and more!)

Course & Academic Resources

HST.590 LECTURE SCHEDULE

The HST.590 topic for this fall is “Biomedical Research Ethics”.

Non-registered students who are interested in participating in a session should contact Max Cotler, Teaching Assistant (mjcotler [at] mit.edu (mjcotler[at]mit[dot]edu)) for Zoom access information.

Time and Location

Meets virtually on Zoom on selected Thursdays 4:30–6:30PM.

NOTE: Implicit bias training on 11/19/20 will be from 4-7PM

Schedule of Lectures and Course Events

October 1                   

  • Dr. Benjamin Silverman: TBD
    Senior IRB Chair, Partners Healthcare
  • Dr. Haider Warraich: TBD
    Associate Director, Heart Failure Program, VA Boston Healthcare System

October 15                 

  • Dr. Italo Brown: “Deconstructing Health Equity & Social Injustice”
    Social Emergency Medicine Fellow
    Clinical Instructor, Emergency Medicine, Stanford University
  • Dr. Nancy Chin: “Community Engagement and Vulnerable Populations: COVID-19 and Rochester’s Latino Community”
    Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, Center for Community Health and Prevention, University of Rochester

October 22                 

  • Dr. Kenneth Kaitin: “Deconstructing the Drug Development Process and the Vagaries of Drug Pricing”
    Professor, Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development
  • Dr. Robin Wolfe Scheffler: “Cancer and the Color Line”
    Associate Professor, MIT Program in Science, Technology, and Society

October 29                 

  • Dr. Marc Lipsitch: “Why Do Exceptionally Dangerous Gain-of-Function Experiments in Influenza?”
    Professor of Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
  • Dr. Traci Trice: TBD
    Assistant Dean, Diversity & Student Diversity Programs, Thomas Jefferson University Medical College

November 5               

  • Rep. Jon Santiago: TBD
    MA State Representative, Suffolk (D)
    Emergency Medicine, Boston Medical Center
  • Dr. Kathryn Stephenson: “Research Equity in a Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities”
    Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
    Director, Clinical Trials Unit, Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Staff Physician, Division of Infectious Diseases, BIDMC

November 12             

  • Dr. Kevin Volpp: TBD
    Founders President’s Distinguished Professor, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
    Division Chief, Division of Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine
    Director, Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics
  • Dr. Lisa Rosenbaum and Dr. David Shaywitz: Conflicts of Interest and Academic/Industry Relations
    Dr. Rosenbaum: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
    National Correspondent New England Journal of Medicine
    Dr. Shaywitz: Lecturer on Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School
    Founder, Astounding HealthTech

November 19 (Session open to registered students and invited guests only, note additional time for this session - 4-7pm)

  • Dr. Bryant Marks - Implicit Bias
    Associate Professor/Research Director, Morehouse College                                  

ADVOCACY 101 WORKSHOPS - MIT GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL'S EXTERNAL AFFAIRS BOARD

Title IX… COVID-19... Travel Bans… Visas...
Does the current political climate leave you feeling powerless? Learn how to make change through the GSC’s External Affairs Board (EAB) advocacy workshop! International students are welcome. Please RSVP here, and email gsc-eab-development [at] mit.edu (gsc-eab-development[at]mit[dot]edu) if you have questions! 

The External Affairs Board has extensive experience advocating on behalf of graduate students on both state and federal levels. For example, the Board mobilized several student governments around the country to file an amicus brief supporting the MIT/Harvard lawsuit that challenged the July 6 2020 ICE ruling which, among other provisions, would have forced international students to leave the country. We have also worked with the MIT administration and the local Cambridge government on graduate housing.
This three-workshop course will give you the basic skills to effectively advocate for your opinions at the federal, state, and local levels. All of the workshops will be conducted virtually, and the corresponding Zoom links will be sent out closer to the dates.

  • Workshop 2 on Wednesday September 30, 6 - 7:30pm EDT: Preparing materials for meetings or calls with political offices, and what to expect during a meeting.
  • Workshop 3 on Wednesday October 7, 6 - 7:30pm EDT: Advice from a panel of policy-makers and staff. In the past, we’ve had State Representative Mike Connolly, and then-City Councillor Sumbul Siddiqui (current Cambridge Mayor).

Participants of all three courses will have the chance to apply what they’ve learned with the EAB in future phone calls or virtual meetings with staffers from the Massachusetts Statehouse or Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. These skills will also be transferrable to in-person meetings with legislative staffers in the future.

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

The MIT-Gordon Engineering Leadership Program (GEL) and the Graduate Student Advisory Group for the School of Engineering (GradSAGE) encourage you to enhance your MIT graduate experience and enroll in the Graduate Certificate in Technical Leadership Program. Here is a summary of the interim certificate requirements

We would also urge you to attend our upcoming Fall 2020 Grad Technical Leadership Workshop Series, which can be used to help satisfy the certificate program requirements. (*Please note— If you are working towards to the Grad Certificate in in Technical Leadership you only need to attend four out of six workshops over the entire course of your time as a grad student.) 

All of the following workshops will be held virtually from 5:30-7:30pm EDT: 

  • World Class R&D For Geographically Distributed Markets - Led by Reza Rahaman. Tuesday, October 13
  • Leading at the Intersection of Management and Engineering - Led by Joan Rubin. Thursday, October 22
  • Week of November 2 Workshop TBD - (Speaker and topic to be announced.)
  • Technology Roadmapping and Innovation in the 21st Century (Part 1) - Led by Oli de Weck. Tuesday, November 17
  • Technology Roadmapping and Innovation in the 21st Century (Part 2) - Led by Oli de Weck. Tuesday, December 1

Register for the certificate program and/or any or all workshops by emailing Lisa Stagnone (lstag [at] mit.edu (lstag[at]mit[dot]edu))

MIT COMMUNITY WELLNESS VIRTUAL CLASSES AND RESOURCES

This year, the MIT community is adapting to new ways of taking care of ourselves and others. If you’d like to connect with your community, stay active, sleep better, relieve stress, and more, Community Wellness at MIT Medical can help you find virtual wellness programs that fit your needs.

Unwind Sessions: These brief classes are a combination of simple stretches to release tension in the body and guided meditation to release tension in the mind. They are offered at 12pm and 5pm EDT Mondays through Thursdays. Attend as often as you wish. Learn more and register to receive Zoom link.

Group health coaching workshops: Fall workshops include Motivation Strategies for students during COVID-19 and Hack Your Sleep. Learn more and register to receive Zoom link.

Refresh App: Stress and anxiety can lead to poor sleep. As a member of the MIT community, you can receive a free subscription to the Refresh app from Sleeprate, courtesy of Community Wellness. The digital “Refresh” program is a personalized mobile solution guiding you through a series of goals to help you retrain your body to sleep soundly.

Step Your Way Challenge: Looking for motivation to be more active this fall? Join the MIT community for a 6-week walking challenge starting Monday, October 5. Our goal is to encourage participants to work up to 10,000 steps a day. Participate, and you just might just win one of five $75 Amazon gift cards! Learn more and register. *Promotional kit to help spread the word about the SYW challenge is attached.

Language Conversation Exchange Virtual Cafe: Discover the beauty of language, learn about languages around the world, and connect with other MIT Community members. The Language Conversation Exchange Cafés happen twice per month. This is a great way to find a language partner! The LCE program is open to MIT community members only.

MedLinks: MedLinks are currently available both on and off campus. This fall, MedLinks are also offering virtual interactions regarding non-emergency situations. Visit the MedLinks website to find out who currently is living in campus residences, or to view our calendar of MedLinks who are available for virtual interactions.

Don’t see what you are looking for? Visit bit.ly/mitwellness or email wellness [at] med.mit.edu (wellness[at]med[dot]mit[dot]edu) with any questions about wellness programs at MIT.

Don't forget: MIT Medical's COVID-19 hotline can be reached at 617-253-4865, and the 24-hour general helpline is 617-253-1311.

MIT ONLINE WRITING AND COMMUNICATION CENTER

The Writing and Communication Center offers free one-on-one professional advice from communication experts with advanced degrees and publishing experience. The WCC can help you further develop your oral communication skills and learn about all types of academic and professional writing. You can learn more about the WCC consultations at http://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-communication-center and register with the online scheduler to make appointments throughhttps://mit.mywconline.com. Please note that the WCC hours are offered on Monday-Friday, 9:00am-6:00pm, and fill up fast.

MIT LIBRARIES - RESOURCES FOR ONLINE COURSES AND RESEARCH

As you transition to online course and research, here are some important resources and updates from the MIT Libraries.

  1. Expanded and free e-resources during COVID-19 closure: In addition to our regular e-resources, many publishers are making e-resources available for free and expanding existing subscriptions. See https://libguides.mit.edu/covid19closure-resources for the complete list.
  2. To suggest a purchase of any ebooks or other online resources, especially those originally available as print materials, please submit your requests through https://libraries.mit.edu/suggest-purchase or contact me at crummett [at] mit.edu (crummett[at]mit[dot]edu) directly.
  3. Please continue sending your interlibrary borrowing requests for articles, book chapters, and other potential e-access as usual. However, all BorrowDirect and interlibrary borrowing (ILB) loan requests are suspended for borrowing of physical materials until the Libraries re-open.
  4. Review our tips on access to library resources off-campus at https://libraries.mit.edu/offcampus . If anyone needs troubleshooting, contact Ask Us at https://libraries.mit.edu/ask/ 
  5. Theses may be submitted electronically in accordance with the Emergency Academic Regulations. The Libraries are working with the Institute to develop new specifications, and we will post updates on the Specifications for Thesis Preparation page when available.

All MIT Libraries (including 24-hour spaces and book drops) are closed until further notice. Library staff members will remain available remotely during the closure. You can find up-to-date information about library services at https://libraries.mit.edu/about/covid19/ .

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 CATALYST COURSES AND EVENTS

Harvard Catalyst works with Harvard University’s schools and affiliate academic healthcare centers to build and grow an environment focused on team science – where discoveries are rapidly and efficiently translated to improve human health. We catalyze research across all clinical and translational domains by providing investigators with opportunities such as pilot funding, free resources such as biostatistics consultations, training and mentoring programs, and numerous courses. To facilitate communication, collaboration, and data collection, our informatics team develops a range of open-source tools available to the community within Harvard University and beyond.

Check out our fall funding course, Funding Your Research: NIH.

Funding Your Research: NIH

October 14 - December 16, 2020

Funding Your Research: NIH is an online course that covers the general principles related to NIH grant writing with a particular focus on the R01 and K series of mentored career development grants. Participants learn from researchers who have successfully applied for NIH funding and served on study sections. 

Course topics include:

  • Developing an NIH-fundable research topic
  • Writing the sections of the R01 or K mentored career development grant
  • Effective project management
  • Working with grant administrators and collaborators to assemble the grant
  • NIH peer review process

REGISTER by September 30

Email fyr [at] catalyst.harvard.edu (fyr[at]catalyst[dot]harvard[dot]edu) with any questions. 

Information on courses and training through Harvard Catalyst can be found here.
A calendar of Harvard Catalyst events can be found here.
Subscribe to the Harvard Catalyst Newsletter here.

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.

Conferences, Lectures & Seminars

MIT HACKING RACISM IN HEALTHCARE LISTENING SUMMIT & HACKATHON WEEKEND

  • September 26-27, 11am – 4pm EST (Listening Summit)
  • October 16-18 (Hackathon Weekend)
  • Via Zoom

As part of the MIT Hacking Racism in Healthcare challenge, subject matter experts will convene this weekend for a learning summit on issues of healthcare inequality. 

Agenda | Webinar registration | Website 

For more information, please contact Olimpia Estela Caceres-Brown, olimpia [at] mit.edu (olimpia[at]mit[dot]edu)

Our Mission

The mission of MIT Hacking Racism in Healthcare is to create a space for collaboration among those with diverse backgrounds to dismantle racial injustice in healthcare delivery and address the social determinants of health. Through the various tracks we hope to shine a light on current structures that propagate racism and implement sustainable solutions to promote racial equity. This inaugural hackathon is meant to pave the way for more extensive and exhaustive work across all facets of society. In order to build a better tomorrow, we begin our work today.

How does this 'hackathon' work?

During the hackathon, participants will work virtually with in teams to choose a specific problem within their track and develop a potential solution to this problem. They can use any tool at their disposal, as well as seek expert guidance from Mentors that we will provide as they develop their solution. At the end of the hackathon, solutions will be pitched to a panel of judges who will give feedback. Teams emerging from the hackathon will have a chance to receive continuing mentorship and access to resources in order to realize their solution and create real-world impact.  Please see the FAQs section for more information.

To check out similar hackathons, visit MIT Hacking Medicine’s website and the MIT COVID-19 Challenge website.

What are tracks?

Tracks are specific topic areas under the larger organizing themes of the event. Teams will focus on working together to narrow their problem statements and identify the specific populations who experience them, eventually leading to targeted solutions. 

Participants will be able to specify track preferences once their application is selected for participation. For the complete list of tracks, click here.

What is the time commitment?

Participants should generally be available from the evening of October 16 to the late afternoon on October 18th Eastern Time. 

If you would like to mentor teams during the event, you should plan to be available for at least one 3-hour slot over the course of the weekend (October 16 – 18) to advise participants. 

For more information about the hackathon, check out our FAQs page!

MIT POLICY HACKATHON

Are you a data scientist, policy analyst, lawyer, or just interested in data driven policy? Apply to the 2020 MIT Policy Hackathon: Equity to Engagement

This hackathon is convened by students in MIT’s Technology & Policy Program and the Institute for Data, Systems, & Society and aims to address relevant societal challenges via data and policy analysis. This year’s challenge areas include: Covid-19, Transportation, Urban Planning, Internet Policy, and Environmental Justice. You can see examples of proceedings from prior policy hackathons, here.

When: Friday through Sunday October 23-25th, 2020 (Virtual)

How: tinyurl.com/polhackapp

FAQs: www.mitpolicyhackathon.org/faq

Contact Us: policyhackathon [at] mit.edu (policyhackathon[at]mit[dot]edu)

MIT BIOTECH GROUP - 2020 DRUG DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR SERIES

The MIT Biotech Group is excited to announce our virtual drug development seminar series, The World of Biologics!

  • 9/28 - Cen Xu, Scientific Director, Neuroscience - Amgen
  • 10/19 - Andrea Carfi, Head of Research, Infectious Disease - Moderna
  • 10/26 - Eric Green, Senior Vice President, TTR Franchise - Alnylam
  • 11/02 - Adam Hartigan, Director of Hematology - Beam
  • 11/09 - Angela Yen, Leader of Cell and Genetic Therapies Group - Vertex
  • 11/16 - Jennifer Brogdon, Exec. Director, Head of Cell Therapy Research - Novartis
  • 11/23 - David Lubkowicz, Christian Tidley, Lead Strain Engineer - Synlogic, Program Lead in Organism Engineering - Ginkgo
  • TBA - Panelists (Various Positions) - Amgen

Schedule and Topics: https://tinyurl.com/y6s89kbm

RSVP: https://forms.gle/TNqpXTi7djSXQ7KYA

Zoom Link: https://tinyurl.com/y6z6a6fb

BIOLOGY DIVERSITY COMMUNITY (BDC) SEMINAR SERIES

The Biology Diversity Community (BDC) extends a warm welcome to the greater MIT Community to its new seminar series where we touch on topics about race, gender, diversity, equity, and inclusion by highlighting and promoting diverse voices both inside and outside of our community. We hope that all members of the community will have an opportunity to learn about others’ heterogenous experiences in STEM and the ways in which race, gender, socioeconomic status, nationality, and more influence these moments. 

We begin our seminar series on Wednesday, September 30th at 3:00pm (ET) with EJ Joseph from Amplify the Movement.

Amplify the Movement is a collective aimed at uplifting and supporting Black voices. Through the creation of a safe and inclusive space for all Black voices, Amplify the Movement protests the systemic racism Black lives routinely face. They are currently planning future panels to address issues of racism and homophobia as well as to showcase Black talent from artists, performers, entrepreneurs, and more.

EJ Joseph is a Black, Queer Actor based in LA and a co-founder of Amplify the Movement. His mission in this collective and in life is to create opportunities for other underrepresented individuals who also encounter anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-Blackness in their daily lives. As the inaugural speaker for the BDC Seminar Series, EJ Joseph will speak about his experiences as a queer Black man in Hollywood and his work at Amplify the Movement.

Zoom Link: https://mit.zoom.us/j/99672709822

If you have any questions, please submit them to the BDC at bdcgroup [at] mit.edu (bdcgroup[at]mit[dot]edu). We hope you can join us in keeping these important conversations at the forefront of our decisions as we progress towards making the MIT Community a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive space. Finally, we’d like to thank the School of Science for their support of this endeavor through the Quality of Life Grant. 

SENSE.NANO SYMPOSIUM

IMES and the Clinical Research Center (CRC) are co-sponsors, along with MIT.nano and the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP), of an exciting event coming up soon, the SENSE.nano Symposium, Sept. 21-22, 2020 and Sept. 29, 2020. All are welcome to attend, and please pass this on to anyone you think might be interested in the packed agenda.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

2020 SENSE.nano Symposium: The Body at All Scales
Join us at the 2020 SENSE.nano Symposium for an exploration of sensing the body at all scales. Broken into three half-day webinars, this event will highlight the needs for new sensing technologies, showcase research and innovations, and present the impact of these technologies.

Day 3: Startups, innovation, and COVID-19
Tuesday, September 29; 1-4pm EST

>> See the detailed agenda.
>> Register for one or multiple days.

SENSE.nano 2020 will offer invited technical talks, panel discussions, presentations by MIT-launched startups, and views into MIT research today with current graduate students. The symposium will provide needs context and solution perspectives in the domains of sensing for the study of biology and for the care of humans in their environment.

SENSE.nano Symposium is sponsored by: MIT.nano, the MIT Industrial Liaison ProgramMIT Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, and the MIT Clinical Research Center

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 (webinars) are held on Wednesdays at noon.

Brainmap website: https://www.martinos.org/education/brainmap/

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

Student Opportunities

MISTI STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

Did you know that MISTI provides MIT students with the chance to gain hands-on, real-life work experience in leading companies and labs around the world, at no cost And this year, you can have a MISTI experience now AND later. Take part in remote internships, faculty-led courses, and online events throughout Fall and IAP, while you gear up to apply for next summer. The deadline for Fall/IAP is September 28, so check out the opportunities available and apply before it is too late. Also, sign up for our student newsletter to keep up with the latest MISTI deadlines, events, and cultural fun!

MIT GOOGLE DEVELOPER STUDENT CLUB

Interested in getting hands-on CS experience and building solutions for local businesses and the community? Want to get access to hands-on workshops, trainings and developer resources from GoogleJoin Google Developer Student Club! We are looking for both technical and non-technical roles (eg., outreach, marketing). 

Developer Student Club (DSC) is a program presented by Google Developers. DSCs are university based community groups for students. Students from all undergraduate or graduate programs with an interest in growing as a developer are welcome. By joining a DSC, students grow their knowledge in a peer-to-peer learning environment and build solutions for local businesses and their community.

What roles are available? 

We are currently recruiting for club members and ​team lead positions. 

Club member interest form: https://forms.gle/SMzNdd1T1k2tn1Aa9

Team lead application (closes 9/27): https://forms.gle/4r1X9NUgU8UZ8nw39

Team lead roles: 

  • Technical leads

         - Responsible for organizing and running technical workshops and trainings 

  • Marketing/Outreach lead

         - Responsible for publicizing events and getting more people to join DSC

  • Events/Partnerships lead

         ​- Find businesses to partner with for the ​Google solution challenge.
           Help organize events and find the right people to host them. 

Feel free to email ghsu [at] mit.edu (ghsu[at]mit[dot]edu) if you have any further questions! 

PART-TIME OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK W/6TH-12TH GRADE STUDENTS

MIT grad students: Are you interested in K-12 education? Here are two MIT programs hiring grad students to work remotely with 6-12th graders this fall!

Both programs offer training, pay, and support from the MIT pK-12 community.  We're currently looking for weekly commitments of 5-10 hr/wk.  Training starts this month.  Activities with kids start October 1st :)

Full STEAM Ahead Into Fall (FSA): an 8-week virtual program for high school students involving hands-on STEAM projects and mentorship.  The FSA team is hiring mentors to work with small groups and provide support for weekly activities.  See below for details and contact Kirky DeLong for questions: kirky [at] mit.edu (kirky[at]mit[dot]edu)

Afterschool-tastic: an ongoing program for middle school students to discover and explore extracurricular interests "after school".  Afterschool-tastic is hiring students to design and lead online activities for small groups, while also fostering a sense of community among participants.

About the kids:

  • 10-14-year-olds with a parent/guardian who is affiliated with MIT

About you:

  • Available 2 days/week for hour-long online sessions “afterschool” starting Oct. 1 (through mid-Dec.)
  • Able to design and lead small group activities with support from colleagues and MIT pK-12 programs

To apply:

  • Go to innovationone.mit.edu
  • Log in as a student
  • Search for Afterschool-Tastic (under the DLC “UTOP”)

Or, contact Emily at the MIT Education Arcade: egmartin [at] mit.edu (egmartin[at]mit[dot]edu)

Feel free to share this opportunity with others who might be interested in joining this fall. 

STEMXX CHATS GROUP SEEKING PARTICIPANTS

STEMxx Chats is helping trainees, especially women in STEM, succeed in their career paths and in life. At MIT, our predominant benefit will be to undergrads and graduate students. We will address key gaps in facilitating their career development with particular emphasis on professional development tricks and soft skills that they’re not getting in any systematic way. We hope to offer mentorship, support and guidance while addressing key gaps in facilitating their career development. We hope to create a group culture that is uniquely focused on the person, has a high positive tone, emphasizes positive impact, and seeks to do this in a sustained way and have personal friendships form as opposed to one-and-done activities. We hope that creating a culturally and academically diverse group at MIT will allow you to share similar experiences while benefitting from the resources and events of the greater STEMxx Chats community. Below is the interest form for those wanting to join. We will host monthly meetings in addition to the broader STEMxx Chats events (eg. panels on career decisions, key speakers from top women in STEM, etc). We also have Twitter and Instagram (@stemxx_chats) for those who want to learn about the latest events.

Feel free to reach out to the organizers (Shirley Chen, schenxy [at] mit.edu (schenxy[at]mit[dot]edu) and Mariana Avila, avilam [at] mit.edu (avilam[at]mit[dot]edu)) if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you in the fall. 

Website: https://aliceestanton.wixsite.com/aliceestanton/stemxxchats

Interest form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxDhfUz57xILhrgSkIGwUYufkRhrzyxfbRC81wA6pMQByyQA/viewform?usp=pp_url

ASK MIT. GET ANSWERS.

ask.mit.edu is intended for MIT students to ask questions about student support at MIT. Ask your question here and a member of Student Support and Wellbeing team will get back to you within one business day.

GSAS HARVARD BIOTECH CLUB'S INCUBATOR 2020

Do you want to help build & launch a real biotech company?

Join The Incubator, where students and fellows do just that!

An initiative of the Harvard Biotech Club, The Incubator provides hands-on learning and critical job experience. You’ll work alongside expert faculty advisors with deep industry experience to bring a novel biotechnology idea to market.

Apply to join our Fall 2020 cohort. Visit: theincubator.bio

BECOME AN MITVOTE LIAISON FOR THE 2020 ELECTION!

MITvote is a non-partisan student organization actively working to increase voter turnout and civic engagement throughout the MIT community. This election cycle the Presidency, hundreds of congressional seats, and critical state and local offices will be on the ballot across the country. As we prepare for the General Election on November 3rd, we are creating a team of graduate liaisons to help students from every department at MIT have their voice heard in the voting process! 

Graduate liaisons 2020 will help spread important information on voter registration and voting deadlines within their academic departments (this could include emails, department Slacks, or mentioning voting at department talks or social events). No prior experience is required.  Each liaison will be given all the training and resources needed to be successful.  Being a liaison is a low time-commitment way to help inform people about voter registration, promote civic engagement within each academic department, and make sure the MIT community will have its voice heard in these important 2020 elections!

If you are interested, please fill out this google form and send it along to any friends who might be interested. Please direct any questions to vote-exec [at] mit.edu (vote-exec[at]mit[dot]edu) and check our website vote.mit.edu for voting resources.

CERF MEDICAL PRIZE

The Cullen Education and Research Fund has decided to promote research into aspects of muscle atrophy and loss of functionality associated with motor neuron disease / amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (MND/ALS) with a prestigious award and a prize of €1M.

The €1 Million Cullen Education and Research Fund Prize aims to facilitate a more normal lifestyle for people with MND/ALS while - ideally - extending life expectancy.

The judging panel will consider any solution that gives an MND/ALS patient independence and allows them to breathe, walk, talk, lift a coffee, drive a car and otherwise operate independently. The CERF prize will catalyze development of new approaches to preserve or improve function by any means, including - but not limited to - biological, chemical, mechanical or electrical.

Motor Neuron Disease, also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a global disease in which an affected person loses muscle strength, which leads, in turn, to reduced function.  

What are we looking for?

The key goal of the CERF Medical Prize initiative is to find a successful approach to improve usable muscle strength in MND/ALS patients. We want:

  • Approaches that stop muscle wasting indefinitely and restore usefulness.

  • Approaches which could also prolong life.

  • Approaches that are biologic, mechanical, electrical, etc. There are no limitations on eligible ideas.

  • We have a preference for approaches that are long lasting.

NB: The ability of the entrants to achieve sustained improvement in strength, function or wasting will be assessed by a panel of people living with MND/ALS, carers and clinician scientists.

Competition Timeline

September 30, 2020 - The deadline for registering your intent to compete.

  • Download the application form from the Applications page. Your application must include a brief outline of your proposal to solve this challenge, and emailed to applications [at] cerfprize.com .

  • Once you have submitted your initial application, you will be provided with a confidentiality agreement and once all parties have signed, we will request a more detailed project proposal.

December 31, 2020 - Full Submission Deadline

  • Entrants are asked to submit a fully detailed project entry by December 31st 2020.

  • The submission must consist of a written presentation and may, if desired, include a visual presentation also (ie. video, slideshow etc.).

  • Entrants are expected to have begun testing their solution, where possible, by this time.

  • The most promising entries will be invited to present their work to the judging panel in early 2021.

Things to note:

  • While the prize will not be awarded before December 31st 2020, we reserve the right to award it at any time from that date should the panel feel that the challenge has been sufficiently met.

  • We reserve the right not to award the prize, should the panel feel that no project has sufficiently met the prize challenge.

  • Entrants are welcome to approach the charity to discuss their projects during the development stage - ie. after initial submission and before the Full Submission Deadline. Smaller laboratories and individual entrants may apply for support from CERF to develop their projects.

Find more information here.

MITAC OPPORTUNITIES - VIRTUAL TOURS, EVENTS, PERFORMANCES, ETC.

Welcome! The MIT Activities Committee offers discounted tickets to the MIT community for local arts and culture, sporting events, and family activities.

View our list of Virtual Tours and Performances
Due to current COVID-19 concerns, all tickets are available for purchase online only.

Members of the MIT community: subscribe here (at the bottom of the page) to our mailing list/newsletter to receive the latest updates delivered right to your inbox!

OFFICE OF GRADUATE EDUCATION - FELLOWSHIP WORKSHOPS & FINANCIAL LITERACY RESOURCES

The OGE is happy to report that we will be continue our Financial Literacy Workshop series for the Fall via Zoom. More information on our next workshop is found below. Please share with your students!

Applying to Graduate Fellowships

On October 1 from 12:00-1:30 OGE Director of Graduate Fellowships, Scott Tirrell will cover a wide variety of fellowship related topic.  Why are fellowships great? What is the application process? What are the types of resources available? Tips on personal statements and research proposals. Just a great place to ask questions and prepare to apply for fellowships (NSF deadlines are fast approaching)! Interested students should RSVP here. We will send out the Zoom link on Thursday morning to all those who submit the RSVP form before the presentation.

Lastly, as a reminder the OGE provides some other helpful financial literacy resources for students. Please see below.

New Fellowship Newsletter

Soon, we will be sending out our introductory Fellowship Newsletter. We hope that this will be a monthly/bimonthly occurrence that will include upcoming opportunities and events, tips on applying to fellowships, announcements, and generally an avenue for us to relay fellowship related information. 

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
Newly updated Financial Literacy section to our website found here. Also, we’ve added a new Financial Concerns section that includes information on identity theft, food insecurity and transitioning out of school (great for graduation season) found here.

If there are further questions about fellowships, the OGE Fellowship section can be found here, especially the Fellowships Tips content here.  

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.

MIT GRAD DIVERSITY NEWSLETTER

The Office of Graduate Education (OGE)’s GradDiversity seeks to support the success of underrepresented and under-served graduate students at MIT. This takes place through a series of programs designed to strengthen recruitment, enhance community, and ignite development in academic, leadership, and professional skills.

Together with the Institute Community and Equity Office and our faculty, students, and staff from across the Institute, we are committed to fostering a more inclusive and caring climate that intellectually engages and values all members of our MIT community.

Sign up for the GradDiversity 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 SPOUSES & PARTNERS CONNECT

Open to all significant others of MIT students, postdocs, and staff who have relocated to the Boston area

Visit: http://spouses.mit.edu

WEEKLY WEDNESDAY MEETINGS

Every Wednesday at 3 pm MS&PC meets via Zoom: https://mit.zoom.us/j/585674692 (password: 139032).

Hosted by the MS&PC staff. Join other members of MS&PC for guest speakers, interactive games, and interesting conversation.

September 30:  Meet the MIT Police

STAY IN TOUCH WITH US!

Subscribe to our weekly email updates: http://spouses.mit.edu/join/subscribe

Join our private Facebook Group

Follow us on Instagram @mspconnect

Email us at spousesandpartners [at] mit.edu (spousesandpartners[at]mit[dot]edu)

NEWCOMER OFFICE HOURS

Every other Tuesday at 11 a.m. Meet with Jennifer Recklet Tassi, the Program Manager, and Viktoriia Palesheva, the Program Assistant, and ask your questions about life at MIT and in Boston. Please register here we know that you are coming.

AND MORE WEEKLY MEETINGS

Parent Zoom – every Monday at 10 a.m.

Bring your kids with you! We want to hear how you are doing and how we can better support you and your family during these difficult days.

English Conversation Group meets on Mondays at 5 p.m. and Fridays at 10am via Zoom.

EVEN MORE WAYS TO CONNECT

Toddler Playgroup members can find some activities for kids every Monday on Facebook.

PRIVATE CONSULTS

Facilitated by Program Manager, Jennifer Recklet Tassi, this private appointment via Zoom or Skype is a time to ask questions, voice concerns, and reimagine your life here in Boston. We can spend the time talking about whatever is on your mind - from job search and career development to navigating a new city to figuring out how to make your experience in Boston productive and meaningful.

Book a 30 minute private appointment here: https://mspc.youcanbook.me/ Appointments will be available at various times during the week. Jennifer can talk with you via phone or Skype, Zoom.

MIT LANGUAGE CONVERSATION EXCHANGE

Open to all members of the MIT community

We connect people across MIT for conversation, cultural exchange, and friendship.

How to find a conversation partner at MIT so you can practice a language you are learning or want to improve with a native speaker.

  • Visit our website: http://lce.mit.edu
  • Search and contact native speakers of languages you want to practice for one-on-one conversation held at your convenience         Watch this video to learn how our website works
  • Join our new Slack Space: https://bit.ly/lce-slack
  • Join or create channels for the languages you are interested in
  • Practice your writing skills while meeting other people at MIT who share your language interests
  • Participate in our virtual events: https://bit.ly/LCECAFE
  • Conversation cafes held on Zoom
  • Breakout rooms with small groups of people for language exchange
    Held on the 2nd Friday and 4th Tuesday of the month at 2pm, Register in advance

Get in touch with the LCE

Email us at lce [at] mit.edu (lce[at]mit[dot]edu)

Follow us on Facebook @MITLCE

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

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

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW - MILLER LAB - SYNTHETIC AND SYSTEMS BIOLOGY - MGH

Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Research Area: Synthetic biology, molecular systems biology, tumor immunology
Full/Part Time: Full Time
Investigator: Miller, Miles

Description: The Miller Lab in the Center for Systems Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School is recruiting postdoctoral research scholars to develop new technologies for spatially manipulating cellular dynamics in situ within tissue, using an integration of optogenetics and translational imaging technologies. The candidate will work in a highly collaborative laboratory of several postdoc members with backgrounds in engineering, computer science, biology, chemistry, and medicine. The laboratory provides a supportive research environment working with clinicians in the hospital and industry partners.

Responsibilities: An ideal candidate has expertise in one or more of the following areas: molecular biology, synthetic biology, optics (microscopy), optogenetics, cell signaling, cell biology, and relevant areas.

Requirements: We seek motivated and creative individuals with a PhD or MD/PhD degree. To apply, please send your CV, a summary of your most significant research accomplishments, and the email addresses of two references to: Miles Miller (miles.miller [at] mgh.harvard.edu (miles[dot]miller[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)).

The Center for Systems Biology (CSB) at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is currently recruiting for a postdoctoral research position in the Laboratory for Multiscale Network Biology directed by Prof. Miles Miller, PhD.

CSB is located within the Simches Research Building on the main MGH campus in Boston, and features a dynamic, multi-disciplinary environment with close interactions with MGH clinician-researchers and faculty across Harvard Medical School (csb.mgh.harvard.edu). Program awardees will have the opportunity to
work closely with faculty and will benefit from didactic educational opportunities and seminars.

A key focus of the research program centers on the development and application of advanced imaging methods to study the in vivo biology of diseases such as cancer. CSB is home to cutting edge technologies for performing in vivo confocal and multiphoton microscopy, multi-scale imaging through whole tissues and
organs, and highly multiplexed immunofluorescence, all of which can complement and inform clinically-relevant modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography / X-ray computed tomography (PET/CT). CSB is at the forefront of developing new approaches to integrate imaging with computational and genomic techniques, including machine learning and single-cell RNA sequencing, to discover new biological and clinical insights.

We offer excellent training opportunities in a highly collaborative department that brings together synthetic biology, chemistry, chemical biology, molecular biology, systems biology, imaging and cancer research. MGH-CSB is home to highly cited faculty and is richly immersed in the broader Harvard Medical School community. Imaging and analysis technologies in part developed within CSB have progressed to clinical trials, venture creation and commercialization, and FDA approval in some cases.

A strong background in life sciences and excellent command of spoken and written English are essential. All interested applicants should submit a CV, transcript, and a letter of recommendation to Serena Sullivan
(sullivan.serena [at] mgh.harvard.edu (sullivan[dot]serena[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)).

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW - IM LAB - ENGINEERING - MGH

Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Research Area: Engineering, Extracellular vesicles, Neuroscience
Full/Part Time: Full Time
Investigator: Im, Hyungsoon (https://csb.mgh.harvard.edu/hyungsoon_im/)

Description: The Im Lab in the Center for Systems Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School seeks highly motivated postdoctoral research scholars to develop next-generation diagnostic technologies for clinical translation. The candidate will work in a highly collaborative laboratory of several
postdoc members with backgrounds in engineering, computer science, biology, chemistry, and medicine. The laboratory provides a supportive research environment working with clinicians in the hospital and industry partners.

Responsibilities: An ideal candidate has expertise in one or more of the following areas: Engineering, Optics (microscopy), Microfluidics, Organ-on-a-chip, Extracellular Vesicles, Biology, Chemistry, Neuroscience, Cell Biology, Computer Science, or relevant areas.

Requirements: We seek motivated and creative individuals with a PhD or MD/PhD degree. To apply, please send your CV, a summary of your most significant research accomplishments, and the email addresses of two references to: Hyungsoon Im (Im.Hyungsoon [at] mgh.harvard.edu (Im[dot]Hyungsoon[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)).

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW - IM LAB - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE - MGH

Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Research Area: Artificial intelligence, deep learning, computer science,
Full/Part Time: Full Time
Investigator: Im, Hyungsoon (https://csb.mgh.harvard.edu/hyungsoon_im/)

Description: A postdoctoral research position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Hyungsoon Im in the Center for Systems Biology (CSB) at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School. We are interested in candidates with research background in artificial intelligence, deep learning, computer science, and relevant areas. We have active projects developing and applying AI algorithms for medical and microscopic imaging as well as their clinical translation.

Responsibilities: Expertise in one or more of the following areas is desired but not required: computer science, bioinformatics, engineering or relevant areas. The ideal candidate will have interest in the development of new deep-learning algorithms based on medical data and their applications in translational medicine.

Requirements: We seek motivated and creative individuals with a PhD or MD/PhD degree. To apply, please send your CV, a summary of your most significant research accomplishments, and the email addresses of two references to: Hyungsoon Im (Im.Hyungsoon [at] mgh.harvard.edu (Im[dot]Hyungsoon[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)).

TUFTS CTSI 2021 PILOT STUDY PROGRAM ACCEPTING PROPOSALS

The Tufts CTSI Pilot Studies Program seeks proposals for innovative, high-impact, translational science projects with a focus on building interdisciplinary, multi-institutional research teams. The program aims to improve population health by funding new projects that will allow investigators to develop and disseminate novel tools or methods and/or to generate sufficient preliminary data for a larger follow-on study. Successful pilot projects should address a research question that provides generalizable insights to help advance cutting-edge prevention practices, support translation of new treatments and cures for disease into clinical care, and increase the overall effectiveness and quality of health care and public health interventions. They should strive to promote equity to help improve the health and well-being of diverse populations, especially those who experience persistent health disparities.

Eligible applicants include members of Tufts CTSI partner or collaborator institutions. Individual investigators and research teams may request up to $30,000 per award. To stimulate collaboration, research teams including investigators from two different Tufts CTSI-affiliated institutions may request up to $45,000 per award and three different institutions up to a maximum award amount of $60,000. In addition to direct funding, award recipients will be provided access to a robust array of complementary research resources and services as well as offered publication support. Selected projects will be funded for one year, beginning May 1, 2021 and ending April 30, 2022, pending National Institutes of Health (NIH) approval.

The 2021 Pilot Studies Program will give equal priority to COVID-19- and non-COVID-19-related projects, welcoming applications in the broad domain of clinical and translational research including investigators from the basic, clinical, and/or applied sciences. To ensure project relevance during the award period, those proposing research projects linked to the COVID-19 outbreak are encouraged to focus on the longer-term direct and indirect health effects and implications of the pandemic and the resulting measures taken to slow the spread of the virus.

All applicants should have a preliminary hypothesis underlying the research and a defined plan and timeline for the publication and dissemination of all research results and for seeking future extramural funding. In support of collective action for health improvement, they should also have an integrated strategy for engaging stakeholders relevant to their proposed projects. Stakeholder engagement should be broadly-conceived to support inclusion in one or more parts of the research process. Regardless of the focus area, all applicants will be asked to assert their ability to complete their proposed research within the award period despite possible COVID-19-related closures and/or associated restrictions on research activities. 

The 2021 Pilot Studies Program has a competitive two-step application process that includes a brief Letter of Intent (LOI) and, if invited, a final application. LOIs will be used to assess applicant eligibility and project alignment, as well as to initiate a collaborative process and facilitate timely identification of appropriate peer reviewers. They will be accepted on a rolling basis through Wednesday, October 7, 2020. Early submissions are welcome and highly encouraged. To submit your LOI, please click here. To view the RFA, please click here.

POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW & GRADUATE STUDENT POSITIONS AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY - GERBER LAB

Graduate student and postdoc positions available immediately in the Gerber Lab to develop novel machine learning models to elucidate fundamental rules governing the formation and maintenance of complex microbial ecosystems in the mammalian gut under the National Science Foundation funded MTM 2: The rules of microbiota colonization of the mammalian gut project. Using a combination of novel computational and high-throughput experimental methods, we seek to elucidate underlying mechanistic rules governing the formation, maintenance and future behavior of complex ecosystems of microbes in the gut. The position will give you the opportunity to develop advanced machine learning methods while working on real, biologically relevant problems. Techniques we use include Bayesian nonparametric models, dynamical systems inference from sparse data, interpretable models, approximate inference methods and relaxations of discrete variables to enable fully-differentiable models.

The candidate is expected to engage with the broader machine learning community by presenting work at top machine learning conferences, as well as publishing applications of new methods in high impact biological journals. Although some experience modeling biological systems is required, microbiome specific knowledge is not required. This could be a good fit for either someone with a strong machine learning background who wants to get domain-specific research experience, OR someone with a strong mathematical background who wants to get more machine learning experience.

See https://gerber.bwh.harvard.edu/jobs/ for more information.

BIOENGINEERING JOB OPPORTUNITY - BERKELEY LIGHTS (EMERYVILLE, CA)

Come join our Applications Development Engineering team at Berkeley Lights!

Development Engineer

Emeryville, CA - Applications Engineering /Full-time

Here at Berkeley Lights, we think cells are awesome! Cells are capable of manufacturing cures for diseases, fibers for clothing, energy in the form of biofuels, and food proteins for nutrition. So the question is, if nature is capable of manufacturing the products we need in a scalable way, why aren’t we doing more of this? Well, the answer is that with the solutions available today, it is hard. Berkeley Lights is here to change all of that! Our extremely sophisticated proprietary technology and Beacon® and LightningTM systems accelerate the rate researchers can discover and develop cell-based products in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost of conventional, legacy research methods. Using our tools and solutions, scientists can find the best cells, the first time they look.

Our goal is to continue to collaborate with customers to drive the adoption of our technologies, making cell-based products and therapeutics more easily accessible the world over! You will play a major role here in the creation and development of these technologies, and our success will depend on you! We have been changing how the world develops cell-based products since 2011, and now our family of around 200 employees welcomes you to consider joining us on this incredible journey.

This role exists at the interface of the Applications and Software Engineering teams. In this role, you will manage the Python code base that includes all application-level code used to execute biological workflows on Berkeley Lights’ platforms. This role requires a strong foundation in object-oriented programming as well as exposure to advanced lab automation equipment with an emphasis on microscopy and microfluidics. A collaborative and supportive mindset is required to enable success of the Team.

Successful candidates may have the opportunity to travel on assignment to customer sites in support of our Field Applications Team.

Find the full job posting here.

Here is a note from Or Gadish, HST MEMP PhD '19:

I've been working at Berkeley Lights for almost exactly a year now since I graduated and I've loved the company culture and overall goals, the products we make, the specific work our team does, the people I work with, and especially during COVID, the fact that our technology is already enabling vaccine and antibody treatment development. The Applications Development Engineer is at the heart of what the company does, working at the intersection of engineering and science, combining software, hardware, biology, and communications. This kind of work is both exciting and allows you to learn a lot of new things (and also great for the overall resume).

Aside from the awesome job, the company is in Emeryville, CA which means that you can live a short commute away from San Francisco or from the (relatively) lower housing prices in the East Bay.

There is also a posting for a Product Engineer role on the team for someone with BS or MS with 3-5 years experience.

If you (or someone you know) is interested in either position, please check out the posting and reach out to me at or.gadish [at] berkeleylights.com (or[dot]gadish[at]berkeleylights[dot]com)!

SENIOR FELLOWSHIP IN TRANSLATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE AND ENTERPRISE

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

The successful applicant will join a multi-disciplinary team at the UPM to design and implement translational applications of end products, services and technological outputs of the Human Brain Project (HBP). This will involve the formation of strategic links with partners in industry and development of potential business models.

The successful applicant will be involved in planning and launching a call for expressions of interest for industry engagement as part of the HBP.

Typical activities:

1. Identification of promising technologies for industrial exploitation

2. Identification and interaction with potential user companies

3. TRL assessment

4. Technology roadmaps

5. Business plans

6. Licensing of patents, software or knowledge

Find more information here.

POSTDOC POSITION IN JAIN LAB @ UCSF - OXYGEN AND VITAMIN BIOLOGY

The Jain Lab at University of California, San Francisco  (https://ishajainlab.com) is looking for motivated, hard-working and curious applicants. We recently discovered that chronic hypoxia (equivalent to living in the mountains of Peru or Nepal) can serve as a therapy for mitochondrial disease in mouse models (https://jainlabblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/hypoxiatherapy_science_2016.pdf). This approach is currently in clinical trials. We are now interested in studying the effects of low and high oxygen on additional disorders and age-associated processes, as well as understanding the fundamentals of how organisms sense and adapt to varying oxygen tensions. We are similarly interested in studying causes of subclinical and vitamin deficiencies and diseases that might benefit from megavitamin therapy. We will be using a combination of systems-level approaches (CRISPR screens, metabolomics, etc.) and animal physiology to tackle these questions. Post-docs will be encouraged to lead independent projects resulting in high impact publications, present at conferences and prepare for long-term careers in academia or industry. 

If you are interested in working on exciting problems related to oxygen/vitamins/aging, email Dr. Jain at Isha.Jain [at] ucsf.edu (Isha[dot]Jain[at]ucsf[dot]edu) with a short description of your past research experiences and a resume/CV. 

Dr. Jain received her PhD through the HST MEMP Program at MIT.

RESEARCH FELLOW IN DIGITAL HEALTH - BIDMC

Research Fellow in Digital Health: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Division of Digital Psychiatry
(co-sponsored, dual appointment with the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School)

About:

This unique research fellowship at the intersection of digital health, smartphone apps, digital phenotyping, biostatistics, and patient care offers the opportunity to work at the frontier of mobile health at Harvard Medical School. This fellowship focuses on evaluation, analysis, and dissemination of clinically focused insights derived from novel data obtained from clinical research studies focusing on college mental health and serious mental illnesses.

The Digital Psychiatry Division (https://www.digitalpsych.org/) of the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Medical School Affiliated Teaching Hospital, is leading efforts to translate advances in digital phenotyping and smartphone interventions for mental health to clinical solutions to improve the care of patients with illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. The team is led by John Torous MD, board certified in both psychiatry and clinical informatics and offers the opportunity to make a strong impact and improve mental health with new technologies. 

Start: Can be immediately and negotiable

Salary: Competitive

Job Description:

With this current opening we are seeking a candidate with strong quantitative skillsets applicable to digital mental health including time series analysis, imputation, creation of novel models, and application machine learning methods. Longitudinal patient level data is today generated from smartphone sensors, surveys, and metadata with the opportunity to combine neuroimaging and genetic data sets. Immediate goals include creating models of relapse prediction based on smartphone data to provide patients with early warning of elevated risk. The successful candidate would be expected to lead several projects at the intersection of digital mental health, global health, and clinical care that would result in first author publications. Finally, the successful candidate would be expected to work with our team in pursuing both industry and academic grants to expand this work.

An ideal candidate has been awarded or has nearly completed the requirements for a doctoral degree or foreign equivalent and is a trainee pursuing advanced studies beyond the doctoral level in preparation for an independent career in quantitative data science. In collaboration with and under the mentorship of the Principle Investigator (PI), a successful Research Fellow will engage in activities in the digital mental health space that will further his or her professional development. The position can be co-sponsored with the Division of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School and offer protected time there as well as at the medical center.

Required Qualifications:

  • Doctoral degree related to computer science, biostatistics, or data science
  • Strong publication history and writing skills
  • Strong quantitative and analytical skillset with R or Python experience.
  • Prior experience reviewing, analyzing, and summarizing scientific literature.
  • Excellent attention to detail and interpersonal, organizational, writing, and project management skills.
  • Strong organizational and data management skills.

Desired Qualifications:

  • Prior healthcare related research or team experience
  • Data visualization experience

For more information, please email John Torous, MD: jtorous [at] bidmc.harvard.edu (jtorous[at]bidmc[dot]harvard[dot]edu).

MARTINOS CENTER RESEARCH FELLOW IN SIMULTANEOUS PET/MR NEUROIMAGING

Martinos Center Research Fellow in Simultaneous PET/MR Neuroimaging
Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging MGH, HMS

We are seeking two postdoctoral fellows to join our team to pursue research in simultaneous PET/MR imaging in neuroscience applications. Our research focuses on developing and applying novel PET/MRI methods to investigate the neurochemical underpinnings of psychiatric and neurological disorders. We have projects and training opportunities in the following area: (1) Quantify neuroreceptor dynamics and evaluate functional consequences with pharmacological imaging in animal models and human subjects, with applications in pain, addiction, and other psychiatric disorders; and (2) Assess the impacts of neurovascular coupling/function on PET radiotracer kinetics, with applications in neurodegenerative disorders.

Our research programs are highly translational spanning from animal models, first-in-human studies, to clinical applications. The appointment as a Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School research fellow will be for 1 year with possibility for extension based on performance and the availability of funding. The positions are available immediately.

The successful candidate will be a highly motivated researcher with a desire to begin an independent career related to or involving neuroimaging. The position requires a PhD degree in Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Neuroscience or a related field. However, we will consider candidates of any scientific background. This position requires experience in analysis of medical imaging data. Experience with MRI or PET is a plus. Extremely strong candidates with minimal imaging experience are still encouraged to apply. Strong written and oral English communication skills are required.

Additional Skills/Abilities/Competencies
The job requires a candidate who is mature, responsible and flexible with excellent organizational and people skills. S/He must be able to work with in a fast-paced environment and should be able to problemsolve/troubleshoot, juggle and prioritize multiple tasks and seek assistance when appropriate.

Application
Interested applicants should send a cover letter describing research interests and experience, an updated CV, and names and contact information of three references to: Hsiao-Ying (Monica) Wey, Ph.D. (E-mail: hsiaoying.wey [at] mgh.harvard.edu (hsiaoying[dot]wey[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)). Please contain “Research Fellow Application: Your Name” in the e-mail subject line.

The Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers.

NEW CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AT AKATECH.TECH

We are pleased to provide you with current job openings across the globe at AKATECH.tech, your network of careers in the field of Computer Science and Engineering. Visit our website at https://akatech.tech/.

INSIGHT FELLOWS PROGRAM

We’re now accepting applications from graduating students for our winter session.

*While Fellows can attend the program from anywhere, they will still interview for roles in their chosen program location. All eligibility criteria still applies. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Apply to our fully remote fall session: https://apply.insightdatascience.com

INSIGHT FELLOWS

What is Insight?

The Insight Fellows Program is a seven-week professional training fellowship for graduating students and working professionals looking to transition to thriving careers as data scientists, engineers, and other cutting-edge professionals. Insight takes a unique approach, working closely with partner companies to match Fellows with the hiring teams that represent the best fit for their skills and experience. 

Gain a Network

Since 2012, Insight has helped over 3,000 Fellows transition to thriving careers in a variety of data and tech fields. By joining the Fellowship, you’re also joining an extensive community of industry leaders, and gaining connections to thousands of data and tech professionals from hundreds of companies. This is an investment in your future that pays dividends for years to come.

Getting Hired

88% of Insight Fellows accept a job offer in their chosen field within 6 months of finishing the Fellows Program, and the median time to hire is 8 weeks.

Starting Salary

The average starting base salary for Insight Fellows across all our locations is $126,000. Average bonus is $12,000, and almost all Fellows receive either equity or stock grants. The average stock grant for publicly-traded companies is $26,000 per year.

Hiring Companies

Insight alumni are now working at Facebook, LinkedIn, The New York Times, Apple, Airbnb, Netflix, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, CVS Health, 23andMe, Bloomberg, NBC, Bosch, American Express, Microsoft, and 700+ other top companies.

Post-Program Experience 

Beyond the seven week program, Insight Fellows get access to a structured, highly-personalized post-program experience. This personalized post-program experience that we’re introducing as of Summer 2020, helps Insight Fellows get jobs 40% faster and earn $10,000-15,000/year more than the results quoted above. Learn more here.

Available 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:

Sessions will take place remotely, but Fellows will interview for jobs in the following cities:

San Francisco, New York, Boston, Seattle, Toronto, Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago, Denver, Portland, Washington DC

Winter 2021 Session - Upcoming Deadline & Start Date:

  • Next application early deadline: October 5, 2020
  • Session begins: January 2021

Want to learn more about Insight and our programs? Visit: https://www.insightfellows.com

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

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

NIH FUNDED POSTDOC TRAINING FOR UNDERREPRESENTED AND MINORITY PHD STUDENTS

NIH Funded Postdoc Training in Informatics, Genomics, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Biomedical Data Science at Boston Children's Hospital

The Computational Health Informatics Program (CHIP) at Boston Children’s Hospital is now accepting applications for an NIH Funded Postdoc Training opportunity. The program has been committed to recruiting and retaining postdoctoral trainees who are URiM. We have maintained our commitment to diversity through prioritizing applications from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds.

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 Hannah Schram (jenna [at] labshares.com (hannah[at]labshares[dot]com), 857-222-5817).

LabShares Website

LabShares Upcoming Events

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

Clinical and Translational Research Course for PhD 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 Awards
Provides 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

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

To safeguard the health and well-being of our entire community, all recruiting activities, including career fairs, will adopt a virtual format. Information on this page will be updated regularly.

MIT has a diverse range of career fairs, only a few of which are run by Career Advising & Professional Development. Others are managed by student organizations or academic departments. MIT students are also welcome at some fairs hosted by companies, professional organizations, and other universities.

To get the most of your career fair experience, see our Tips for Career Fair Success. You can also view the CAPD events calendar for career fair workshops.

Fall Career Fair Series - September - October 2020

Organized by the 2020 Fall Career Fair Committee in collaboration with CPAD and Academic Departments

The MIT Fall Career Series is designed to provide students with opportunities for their future careers and gives employers access to one of the highest caliber talent pools in the world. All fairs will be held from 10am - 3pm ET and hosted on the Brazen career fair platform. Due to demand, the Hardware, Robotics, Software Fair will be offering a second session from 3pm - 8pm ET — each session includes a different set of employers. Please reference the 2020 Fall Career Series Student Guide for more information and registration steps

Biological Engineering Career Expo – Friday, October 2nd, 2020

Organized by: MIT Biological Engineering Department (Course 20)

Biological engineers create conceptual frameworks to understand, control, and intervene in networks of molecular information flow in biological systems. Doing so, they develop instrumentation to measure biological phenomena, computational models to design experiments and interpret data, and design principles for creating new products based in biology.

The annual MIT Biological Engineering Career Expo is organized for recruiters with internship and full-time positions to meet MIT undergraduate, graduate, and postdocs who are interested in pursuing full-time, co-op, or internship opportunities in biotech, pharma, biomedical engineering, life-sciences consulting, and related fields. Attendees will be from Biological Engineering, as well as Biology, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, and Chemical Engineering.

We anticipate several hundred students and trainees will participate in the event. You can find more information about the Expo, including employer registration information, HERE. This event will be held virtually using the Brazen online platform.

Polymer Day - October 7, 2020

Organized by: The Polymer Graduate Student Association

Polymer Day starts with a poster session judged by local industry professionals over a light lunch. Following the poster session, attendees listen to talks by invited speakers before celebrating the culmination of the day with a reception and awards ceremony. Polymer Day is open to the entire MIT community, as well as to students from polymer research programs throughout Massachusetts. Please contact polymerday [at] mit.edu if you have any questions. This event was postponed from April 2020. Due to restrictions on large on-campus events and visitors to campus in Fall 2020, details about this event are subject to change. Please check back at this page and on the event website regularly for updated details about this event.

Engineering Career Fair Collaborative - Friday, November 13th, 2020

Sponsored by the career offices of Harvard University, Boston University College of Engineering, Olin College, Tufts University, MIT, and Yale

Meet representatives from engineering firms across the country seeking SEAS students for full-time and internship opportunities in innovative fields including robotics, energy, medical devices, environmental services, transportation, and design. This event is a collaboration between Harvard, Boston University, Olin College, Tufts University, MIT, and Yale University. Engineering students from these six institutions are invited to attend! Please check back at this page and on the event website regularly for updated details about this event, including virtual platform and registration information.

Find out more about career fairs 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.

........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

TWiHST is published every Friday during the academic year and bi-weekly during the summer.  

Anyone may submit Items for inclusion in the newsletter.

The deadline for submitting announcements for inclusion in each edition is Thursday at 2pm, immediately prior to a Friday publication date.
Items received later than this time will be held for publication in the following weekly or bi-weekly edition.

To submit an announcement: twihsteditors [at] mit.edu (twihsteditors[at]mit[dot]edu)

To view the current issue: http://hst.mit.edu/news-events/twihst/current