Volume 23, Number 11

HST Community Notices

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.
A link to an HST Programs Slide to include in your presentations can be found here.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION: WAYS TO ENGAGE

Yale study finds racial bias in emergency room procedures

Each week the TWiHST newsletter includes an item (reading, video, podcast, etc.) about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in STEM, academia, research, or medicine. Members of the community are encouraged to submit suggestions here. An archive of previous TWiHST DEI: Ways to Engage posts can be found here.

MIT & HARVARD COVID-19 RESOURCES

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

Course & Academic Resources

FACILITATING EFFECTIVE RESEARCH (FER) WORKSHOP

  • Monday, November 8, 2021
  • 3pm (via Zoom)

This virtual session is geared toward graduate students and post-docs, who are currently or soon plan to be mentoring undergraduate researchers, especially those new to mentoring and/or those planning to mentor UROPs this IAP or spring.

The workshop will focus on UROP mentoring best practices such as setting and managing expectations, project planning, and effective mentor-mentee communication among other topics. The goal is to foster more effective UROP research and advising relationships between undergraduates and their mentors.

Join Zoom Meeting (MIT Touchstone authentication required): https://mit.zoom.us/j/96110563607.

If you can’t attend, but have interest in other mentor workshops, please contact UROP Senior Program Coordinator, Melissa Martin-Greene, melmart [at] mit.edu (melmart[at]mit[dot]edu).

Additional curated resources for UROP mentors can be found on our site at: https://urop.mit.edu/mentors/resources/.

SEEKING CLINICAL EXPERTS FOR 6.871/HST.956 - MACHINE LEARNING FOR HEALTHCARE AT MIT

We are inviting individuals with a clinical background and interest in machine learning for healthcare to apply to the Advanced Study Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology https://professional.mit.edu/advanced-study-program-application. Through this program, students can enroll in 6.871/HST.956 Machine Learning for Healthcare from the MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology.

Over the 16-week semester, which begins in February 2022, students in this class will learn about different machine learning methods used in healthcare and understand their limitations. Through the assignments, students will learn how to apply these methods to clinical data. The course includes guest lectures from physicians, scientists, and industry, and a course project in which students will collaborate and work with a mentor. Last year’s syllabus can be found at https://mlhcmit.github.io/.

Our aim is to motivate collaborations between computer scientists and clinicians. To be able to fully participate, it is expected that students with a clinical background should be motivated to work towards a basic proficiency in Python programming and develop an understanding of the fundamentals of machine learning prior to the start of the class. Resources can be provided to guide learning.

Students will be expected to attend class in-person. We will make accommodations, where possible, for students that need to be partially remote. These students should contact Professor David Sontag and the course staff at mlhc22mit [at] gmail.com (mlhc22mit[at]gmail[dot]com) to discuss further. For those that are unable to apply to the Advanced Study Program, but are still interested in participating in the class, we will consider listeners pending space availability. Individuals interested in participating as listeners can complete this form: https://forms.gle/VqVTiB5mk5bRvGwp9. Students admitted through the Advanced Study Program will be prioritized and obtain academic credit for their coursework.

The deadline to apply to the Advanced Study Program for course credit has passed (Monday, November 1, 2021). The deadline to apply as a listener is Monday, November 15, 2021.

MIT DEEP HEALTHCARE INNOVATION & VENTURE EXPLORATION PROGRAM (DHIVE)

A Deep Dive into Healthcare Entrepreneurship

  • Three-week IAP program  January 10 – January 28, 2022

Apply now! Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis

MIT Sandbox is launching an exciting, new IAP program focused on healthcare entrepreneurship! MIT DHIVE IAP 2022 invites undergraduate and graduate students to gain deep knowledge and insight into one of three healthcare issues as they explore entrepreneurial solutions to associated challenges and needs. Learn from experts in the field, engage in brainstorming and ideation activities, and learn how transform ideas to viable solutions.

Students apply for and participate in a specific DHIVE track community as a paid intern or participant:

  • Down Syndrome and Similar Disabilities - enhance the lives of people with Down Syndrome and different intellectual abilities or challenges; offered in partnership with the MIT Deshpande Center
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) - empower patients and transform the approach to maintenance of chronic diseases; offered in partnership with the MIT Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics
  • Long Covid and Lyme Disease – develop novel method and technologies to address the range of issues caused by infectious diseases

Program highlights:

  • 3-week program January 10 - January 28, 2022
  • Participation options:
    • Paid Internship: part-time or full-time internships for MIT undergraduate and graduate students
    • Participants: 
      • MIT graduate students who are unable to commit 15 hours per week as a paid intern are welcome to apply and participate
      • Postdocs and non-MIT students are welcome to apply and participate
  • Educational talks focused on the challenges and unmet needs related to each DHIVE track
  • Entrepreneurship-focused workshops and mentorship
  • Potential for continued support in spring MIT Sandbox

IAP 2022 applications are open for all DHIVE Track – Apply Now!

Interested? Have questions and want to know more? Join an information session:

Visit the DHIVE website: https://sandbox.mit.edu/dhive

AI4HEALTH WINTER SCHOOL

The Interdisciplinary Institutes for Artificial Intelligence (3IA), MIAI (Grenoble), 3IA Côte d'Azur (Nice) and PR[AI]RIE (Paris) and the Health Data Hub are pleased to announce

Registration for the online AI4Health Winter School is now open

January 10-14, 2022

Register at: www.ai4healthschool.org

With three days of plenary sessions with lectures and use cases (January 10th-12th) led by international experts, accompanied by two days of hands-on practical sessions (January 13th and 14th), this Winter School will cover the latest advances in the field of data science and AI applied to health. The school is aimed at students (final year masters, PhD), post-docs, academics, members of public institutions, and professionals. In order to participate in the practical sessions, basic knowledge in machine learning and python is required.

Internationally renowned speakers in AI for Health, including:

Opening ceremony
(Jan. 10 afternoon, CET)

Ran Balcier (Israel)
Full professor, Public Health Department, Ben-Gurion University of the Neguev, Israel
Founding Director of Clalit Research Institute & Chief Innovation Officer at Clalit Health Services
Chair, Covid-19 National Experts Team, Ministry of Health, Israel

I. Glenn Cohen (USA)
Professor & Deputy Dean, Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law and Policy, Biotechnology & Bioethics, Harvard University

Yoshua Bengio (Canada)
A.M. Turing Award
Scientific Director of Mila and IVADO
Full Professor, Department of Computer Science and Operations Research (DIRO), Université de Montréal
Canada CIFAR AI Chair, Fellow and Program Co-Director

***
Plenary lectures
(Jan. 10-12, CET)

Wendy W. Chapman (Australia)
Professor & Director, Centre for Digital Transformation of Health, University of Melbourne, Australia

Finale Doshi-Velez (USA)
Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science, Harvard Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Stanley Durrleman (France)
Fellow of the (3IA) Paris AI Research Institute (PR[AI]RIE)
Senior research scientist at Inria & Team leader at the Paris Brain Institute (ICM)

Julia Schnabel (Germany, UK)
Professor in Computational Imaging and AI in Medicine (Helmholtz Distinguished Professorship)
Technical University of Munich Helmholtz Center Munich for Health and Environment, Germany
School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences at King's College London

***
Use cases
(Jan. 11-12, CET)

Stéphanie Allassonniere (France)

Fellow and Deputy Director of the (3IA) Paris AI Research Institute, PR[AI]RIE 
PhD, Professor of Applied Mathematics, School of Medicine, Université de Paris

Bjoern Eskofier (Germany)
Professor, PhD, Machine Learning and Data Analytics (MaD) Lab, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Olivier Humbert (France)
Fellow of the (3IA) Côte d'Azur AI Research Institute 
MD, Antoine Lacassagne Center, TIRO laboratory, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France

Melek Önen (France)
Fellow of the (3IA) Côte d'Azur AI Research Institute
MD, Antoine Lacassagne Center, TIRO laboratory, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France

Julien Stirnemann (France)
Fellow of the (3IA) Paris AI Research Institute, PR[AI]RIE 
Professor, MD PhD, Necker Enfants Malades, AP-HP (Paris hospitals), Université de Paris, Institut IMAGINE

***
...plus many more experts leading practical sessions on January 13-14th (details on website)

Register now at: ai4healthschool.org

Questions? Email us: school [at] health-data-hub.fr (school[at]health-data-hub[dot]fr)
-
COVID-19 Notice: Due to the current uncertainty caused by the sanitary situation around the world, the AI 4 Health Organizing Committee decided to hold a virtual version of their Winter School. We continue to closely monitor national and international guidelines.

WORKSHOP: THE POWER OF LANGUAGE, PART 3: PRACTICE SKILLS & DEBRIEF

The Power of Language, Part 3: Practice Skills& Debrief

  • Monday, November 15, 2021
  • 12-1pm
  • Virtual Workshop
  • Register here

Wrapping up part three of our series on inclusive language and communication, practice what you've learned and ask any questions you still have. “The ICEO team and facilitator Kyrah J. Altman will review best practices for inclusive communication and how to keep up with trends in terminology.”

MIT participants will be empowered to:

  • Review and strengthen knowledge of best practices & mistake making in language and communication.
  • Ask questions about further learning and resources. 
  • Dialogue with community members about how they're approaching creating a more inclusive environment in their areas.

Walk the walk and talk the talk with ICEO & LEAD - The final workshop in our series on inclusive language!

NEW H2 COURSE - 5.S00: FIFTY YEARS OF U.S. ENERGY POLICY - LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE

Open to undergraduate & graduate students

Begins: Second half of fall term 2021

Visit here for more information.

Tuesday & Friday, 9:30-11am (E25-111)

Instructor: John Deutch (Office: 6.215, jmd [at] mit.edu (jmd[at]mit[dot]edu))

Prereq: none

Review the energy issues that arose and the U.S. policy responses from the Nixon administration in 1969 to the present administration of Joe Biden. What lessons can be learned from this experience and how should they shape the country’s current climate change policy? In what way might these lessons constrain our expectation about the pace, extent, and cost of success? Both domestic and international policy aspects will be addressed.

NEW RESOURCES TO PROMOTE GRADUATE STUDENT WELLBEING

We are excited to share two new resources to help graduate students care for and prioritize their wellbeing.

In partnership with the Health Promotion Working Group and with the input from faculty, staff, and students, we have launched DoingWell at MIT. The DoingWell website centralizes many of the resources that are available to help students to navigate their own wellbeing journey, including information on how to get support and services to help them practice healthy habits.

We have also launched a new course, Mental Health and Wellbeing for Graduate Students, in the Atlas Learning Center to help graduate students understand common challenges of the graduate student experience and how to navigate support and resources to prioritize their wellbeing. This course, which is also valuable to any faculty and staff who work with graduate students, was developed in partnership with the Division of Student Life, Office of the Vice Chancellor, and MIT Medical.

This is just the beginning of our efforts to promote a culture of student wellbeing at MIT. We are excited to hear your feedback on these resources. We know they will evolve over time as we learn from our community and all of you. If you have any feedback or thoughts, please doingwell [at] mit.edu (let us know). We’d love to connect with you.

MIT COMMUNITY WELLNESS 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 wellness programs that fit your needs.

View all Community Wellness classes here.

Don’t see what you are looking for? 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 WRITING AND COMMUNICATION CENTER (WCC)

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 through https://mit.mywconline.com. Please note that the WCC hours are offered Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm, and fill up fast.

Some faculty already require their students to consult with the WCC’s communication experts on their papers, technical reports, and presentations — doing so is a good way not only to improve the quality of their students’ work but also to help students grow as academic writers and communicators. 

The WCC has decades of experience preparing thousands of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral scholars and faculty, for positions in research, academia, and industry. We provide expertise in scientific and engineering writing as well as humanities and social science writing across various genres, including journal articles, scientific posters, dissertations, oral presentations, and slide design.

Writing Together Online: November Edition

Join the Writing Together Online program organized by the Writing and Communication Center to finish your writing projects before the Thanksgiving break. Our 90-minute sessions create a community of writers who connect, set realistic goals, and write together to motivate each other. This program is open to graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, researchers, or all, who are actively writing their proposals, manuscripts, or thesis/dissertation chapters. 

Feel free to register for any number of 90-minute sessions starting on Mon, Nov 1st, through Tue, Nov 23rd:

* Every Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 9-10:30am ET

* Every Tues 8:30-10am ET

* Every Wed 3-4:30pm ET

Please note that those who attend at least 5 sessions in November will be automatically entered into the raffle of gift-card prizes taking place on Tuesday, Nov 23rd, at 10:00 am ET. The more you participate, the more times you will be entered into the raffle of prizes.

For more information and to register, go to this link or check the WCC website. Please spread the word and join with friends and peers.

The funding support for this program comes from the MIT Office of Graduate Education.

We look forward to seeing you writing with us!

The WCC Team

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, Assistant 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.

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

LIPPARD LECTURE AT KOCH INSTITUTE

The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research is pleased to invite you to the Sixth Annual Judith Ann Lippard Memorial Lecture in Cancer Research.

Diego H. Castrillon, MD, PhD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Pathology will discuss “Endometrial cancer: Genetic models and translational studies” in this virtual webinar.

MIT BIOTECH GROUP SERIES

Open Problems in the Field: Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies

  • Tuesday, November 9, 2021
  • 5-6pm
  • 76-156 (Luria Auditorium)
  • Please RSVP here

Are you interested in bringing new technology into the biotech space? The MIT Biotech Group’s next installment of the Open Problems in the Field series will feature the hot topic of broadly neutralizing antibodies. Join us in our discussion with Dr. Garrett Rappazzo, senior scientist at Adimab, on his work developing broadly neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 on Tues Nov. 9 from 5-6 PM in 76-156 (Luria Auditorium). Please RSVP here if you are interested!

Garrett Rappazzo is a senior scientist in the Antibody Sciences department of Adimab, a biotech company based in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Adimab specializ­es in the discovery and engineering of monoclonal anti­bodies using a proprietary yeast expression system. His work has centered on the isolation and optimization of anti-viral antibodies from the memory B cell reper­toires of human donors. Garrett earned his PhD in Biological Engineering at MIT, where he worked in Michael Birnbaum's lab to better understand T cell recognition of peptide-MHC complexes using yeast-surface display. He earned his Bachelor's and Master's of Engineering degrees at Cornell University in the department of Biomedical Engineering.

MIT VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION & LUNCH

The MIT Student Veterans Association welcomes all members of the MIT community to join us in celebrating the service of our veterans at MIT!

  • Thursday, November 11, 2021
  • 12-3pm
  • Morss Hall - Walker Memorial Building - MIT, 142 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02142
  • Register Here

About this event

We know our veterans have made sacrifices to serve our country, and we want to come together as a community to show our appreciation for their service through celebration this Veterans Day. The MIT Student Veterans Association has partnered with the ROTC to host this year’s Veterans Day Celebration. The theme this year is “A Celebration of Service”.

Join us as we showcase veterans who are students, faculty, and staff at MIT and offer the wider community a way to say “thank you”. We will have a joint-service Color Guard present the Colors at the event followed by remarks delivered by special guest speakers, including Rear Admiral (ret.) David Lane, MD, former director of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and Coleman Nee, former Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans’ Services. Food will be served for all guests, but space is limited. Reserve your tickets today!

Disclaimers: We are still operating under Covid restrictions, so a few rules must apply. All guests must be on CovidPass or registered through Tim Tickets for the event. Please follow the instructions in the Eventbrite confirmation email to ensure all non-MIT guests (significant others, outside community, etc.) are registered in Tim Tickets before attending the event. All guests must be vaccinated. 18+ only.

This event is made possible through financial support from the Institute Community & Equity Office (ICEO), the ARCADE fund, the School of Science, the School of Architecture and Planning, the School of Engineering, the Sloan School of Management, and the Office of Graduate Education.

MIT HACKING RACISM - ENGINEERING HEALTH EQUITY HACKATHON

  • November 12 - 14, 2021
  • Virtual Event
  • Apply here (Application deadline: Wednesday, November 3, 2021 - 11:59pm ET)

The Engineering Health Equity Hackathon is just around the corner, and the deadline to apply is November 3rd at 11:59 PM ET!

This 48-hour virtual event will focus on innovating durable solutions to address structural racism, disparities, and inequities in healthcare.

Participants of all backgrounds are welcome! The only requirement is a passion for healthcare equity. We are bringing together patients, providers, engineers, data scientists, programmers, public health professionals, artists/designers, and other key stakeholders.

Four top prizes each in the amount of $1,500 will be awarded - one for each of the following categories:

  1. Diversification of Clinical Workforce - Diversity in our workforce, especially among our primary care providers (PCPs), allows for more ideas and values to be shared within our collaborative medical decision-making model and helps assure patients from all backgrounds feel supported and represented. 
  2. Improving Outcomes in Women's Health and Pregnancy - Women, especially pregnant women, face unique health challenges that increase the need for preventive care and frequent monitoring, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) screenings and prenatal care. 
  3. Expanding Access and Adoption of Preventive Care - Broadening our reach of preventive measures, such as behavioral health screenings and immunizations, through early and continual interventions is essential to keeping patients healthy in the short and long-term. 
  4. Improving Communication of Social Determinants of Health to Providers - Understanding patients’ personal identities and circumstances crucially informs how we provide comprehensive care. We want to make sharing social determinants of health information as comfortable and easy a process as possible for patients by instilling trust, communicating effectively, and tailoring treatments to the individual.

Help us spread the word and invite your friends, classmates, and colleagues to join you in this challenge in our efforts to identify and tackle the systemic health inequities.

Brought to you by this year’s MIT Hacking Racism Challenge. 

Visit our website to apply, learn more and to find more opportunities to participate!

30TH ANNUAL IRWIN M. ARIAS SYMPOSIUM

Registration is open for the 30th Annual Irwin M. Arias Symposium, ‘Bridging Basic Science & Liver Disease’.

In previous years, this event has been held in person in Cambridge, MA, and has been focused on bringing together academic, clinical, and industrial scientists who work on liver or liver-related research.

This year, on November 18, 2021, we will gather in a digital format to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Arias Symposium by extending our reach to include speakers from across the globe, and also to welcome participants and attendees from anywhere in the world. 

Our program will include:

  • 10 plenary talks from scientists in 5 countries
  • a collection of ‘micro talks’ from junior scientists
  • a ‘fireside chat’ style discussion between Dr Arias and our current Symposium directors, Drs. Sangeeta Bhatia and Wolfram Goessling
  • ‘meet the expert’ small group discussions for which trainees can register to meet with our speakers over a virtual lunch break
    (register here - deadline November 9)

Notably, the entire program has been generously provided for free via the American Liver Foundation and its sponsors.

Link / login information will be sent out to registered attendees during the week of November 15th.

We hope you will join us and help spread the word amongst your colleagues and professional networks!

BCH COMPUTATIONAL HEALTH INFORMATICS PROGRAM (CHIP) - LANDMARK IDEAS SERIES

The Boston Children’s Hospital Computational Health Informatics Program (CHIP) invites you to our Landmark Ideas Lecture.

Upcoming Events: CHIP Landmark Ideas Series

  • Speaker: Alina Chan, PhD
    Title: Searching for the Origin of Covid-19
    Date and Time: Friday, November 15, 2021 at 4:00-5:30PM ET
    Event Registration: Register here
  • Speaker: Todd Golub, MD; Director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Date and Time: Thursday, February 17, 2022 at 4:00-5:30PM ET
    Event Registration: Register here

About CHIP:
The Boston Children's Hospital Computational Health Informatics Program (CHIP), founded in 1994, is a multidisciplinary applied research and education program. For more information visit www.chip.org

About Landmark Ideas Series:
The Landmark Ideas Series is an event series led by CHIP that features thought leaders across health care, informatics, IT, astrophysics, science, and more.

About the CHIP Frontline Dispatch Series
The CHIP Dispatch Series is our newest seminar series designed to share our faculty’s and industry expert’s frontline research activities with the public. For more information, please visit our website here or email CHIP [at] childrens.harvard.edu (CHIP[at]childrens[dot]harvard[dot]edu).

For more information on upcoming events visit www.chip.org/events.

Social Media: Follow us on Twitter at @Bos_CHIP.

UPCOMING INSTITUTE COMMUNITY & EQUITY OFFICE (ICEO) EVENTS

A calendar of upcoming events is available here.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT GROUP BOSTON - EVENTS

The Medical Development Group Boston (MDG Boston) is a community of individuals professionally committed to the Medical Device and other Medical Technology Industry segments united by the belief that innovation and advances in technology lead to substantial improvements in health care.

MDG's Mission is to contribute to the continuing development of medical devices and other medical technologies by enhancing the professional development of its members, fostering and supporting entrepreneurial thinking, serving as a forum for exploration of new business opportunities, and promoting best practices in enterprise management.

MDG pursues this mission through the organization of educational programs and forums: the facilitation of cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration; the creation of venues for networking and information sharing for current and aspiring professionals, clinicians, and entrepreneurs; and the development of alliances with complementary organizations.

We would love for you to attend and spread the word in your community!

For more information on our upcoming events, visit our website.

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.

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

GSC ARC FALL NETWORKING EVENT

GSC ARC (Academics, Research and Careers Committee) Fall Networking Event

  • Monday, November 8, 2021
  • 7pm
  • W20-407 (Student Center)

Come to meet new MIT fellow students and to know what MIT has to offer in terms of alumni relations, student associations and much more!  Food will be provided!

If you are interested, please fill in the form and please, if you have any question do not hesitate to us at gsc-arc-chair [at] mit.edu (gsc-arc-chair[at]mit[dot]edu)!

GSC FRANKLIN PARK ZOO TOUR

  • Saturday, November 13, 2021
  • 11:30am-2:30pm
  • Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Franklin Park Rd, Boston, MA 02121
  • RSVP here

Contact: gsc-ac-chairs [at] mit.edu (gsc-ac-chairs[at]mit[dot]edu)

Come to see animals with fellow graduate students! Check here https://www.zoonewengland.org/franklin-park-zoo/hours-info-faq/

  • Price: $10 (original $22.95). Open to all MIT graduate students. Max 2 tickets per student, guest must be spouse/partner, or another MIT student.
  • Children under 2 free; if bringing children 3-12, please visit https://www.zoonewengland.org/franklin-park-zoo/buy-tickets.aspx to buy children tickets
  • Meet outside the Zoo at 11:20am for check-in. Mask optional outdoors (if social distancing permits), required indoors
  • Email us if you no longer want your tickets, or want to add to waitlist. We will send out more details on the day before the event

GSC TASTE OF PUMPKIN

  • Tuesday, November 16, 2021
  • 5:30-7:30pm
  • Morss Hall, Walker Memorial 50-140 (northwest entrance)
  • RSVP here (walk-in still welcome, still first come first served) 

Contact: gsc-ac-chairs [at] mit.edu (gsc-ac-chairs[at]mit[dot]edu)

Taste of series continues with seasonal favorite: Pumpkin! Choose from bacon pumpkin quiche, pumpkin risotto or pumpkin puree, all include whoopie pie

  • Open to all MIT graduate students, spouses, partners, and children (must come with parents). Complete Attestation at least 10min beforehand.
  • Check in at the northwest entrance, have your QR code in your Covid-pass app ready. Mask required unless actively eating or drinking.
  • Enjoy a Thanksgiving warmup with fellow graduate students over appetizers. Choose to grab and go, or sit down to eat (outdoor porches are open too)

PHD ENGINEERING STUDENTS NEEDED FOR PENN STATE NSF LONGITUDINAL CAREER STUDY GRANT

NSF CAREER grant to study the experiences of current engineering graduate students over time in an effort to understand graduate student attrition and persistence in engineering. 

We are collecting longitudinal data using text-message survey methods, following participants over time.

This research is conducted via very short surveys conducted via text message on your cell phone.  If you agree, and we select you for this study based on your screening criteria, you will receive very short surveys on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Monday and Wednesday surveys will take approximately 30 seconds. Weekly, monthly, and end-of-term (December, May, August) surveys on Fridays will take 1 to 3 minutes. 

If you are interested in participating in this study, please complete the online survey link below. The second page of the survey is the informed consent section, which includes more information regarding the study, including measures taken to protect confidentiality, and you will be able to download the full informed consent document.  

[Link to Participant Interest Survey]

Consecutive participation will be rewarded with a $10 Amazon.com gift card each month of participation (missing fewer than 2 Monday/Wednesday surveys or 1 Friday survey each month). In addition, participants who complete each of the monthly surveys and semesterly surveys each term (December, May, August) will be entered in a drawing for one of three $50 Amazon.com gift cards at the end of each term. 

Although you have the option to be removed from our study at any time, ideally participants would remain in the study for a year, at which point we will reach out to see if you would be interested in continuing your participation. Longitudinal data is extremely valuable to our research, so participants continuing in a second year will be entered into an additional drawing for an additional $50 Amazon.com gift card.  

If you have any questions about the study or how the data will be used, feel free to contact me at our lab group email (ecrl [at] me.psu.edu (ecrl[at]me[dot]psu[dot]edu)) or my university email address (cgb9 [at] psu.edu (cgb9[at]psu[dot]edu)) and we will answer any questions you have. This study has been approved by the Penn State IRB.

Thank you for considering participation in this important study.

MIT MUSEUM - WE NEED YOUR INPUT!

It’s 6 months-and-counting to the opening of the new MIT Museum in Kendall Square, and we need your input!

One of the new Museum’s showpiece exhibit experiences will be an “MIT Community Data Project” – a dynamic, wall-sized visualization of input shared every day by each museum visitor.

But that wall will be empty on opening day, unless we get some seed data to start with.

This is where you come in.

Our aim is to get at what makes the MIT community so unique. By providing your input, your (anonymous) data will be translated into a visual element and incorporated into the wall.

Click here to take our survey-but-not-a-survey, and be a part of the new MIT Museum’s opening day!

GRADUATE COMMUNITY FELLOWS POSITIONS

Grad students, interested in improving graduate life & community at MIT while earning a partial stipend? Apply to become a Graduate Community Fellow!

When would I start? Start dates are flexible and based on the Fellow and the hiring organization. If you’re looking for a job starting this semester, over IAP, or next semester, these openings may be a great fit for you!

What would I do? Graduate Community Fellows work on projects and assignments that enhance the graduate community at MIT in targeted, impactful ways. Each Fellow reports to a staff member in the OGE or a partner organization. See specifics below.

What are the requirements? Must meet minimal eligibility requirements and agree to the terms of appointment. Appointment periods for Fellow positions vary. All positions serve 10 hours per week, and receive compensation of $700 per month.

International students with full-time RA/TA appointments should note that there are eligibility restrictions.

Current positions are listed below; find more info on each position at the current Fellow positions page.

  • Diversity Initiatives Community/Retention - OGE (OPEN) 
    Create community by supporting the Diversity Initiative’s IGNITE event series, which connects grad students to faculty, alumni, and administrators of color.
  • Institute Community and Equity Office (ICEO) Communications (OPEN) 
    Be a part of advancing a respectful and caring community through developing content for email and social media, among other duties.
  • PKG Center for Public Service - Graduate Community Engagement (OPEN) 
    Contribute to the center’s engagement of graduate students through outreach and communications, the Get (Good) Stuff Done workshop series, and networking with campus partners.
  • REFS Program Support (OPEN) 
    Help make the REFS program work better & optimize resources for individual REFS, for dREFS, and for iREFS.Applicants should have familiarity with, and interest in, the REFS program.
  • Violence Prevention & Response Programming Support (OPEN)
    Support the VPR’s work on sexual violence, relationship abuse, stalking, and harassment on campus through education, outreach, survey data analysis, event planning, and a special project.

How do I apply? Once you’ve reviewed position details, download the application to apply. Applications for all positions are reviewed on a rolling basis. We hope to hear from you!

Questions? Contact Jessica Landry, jlandry [at] mit.edu (jlandry[at]mit[dot]edu).

NUCLEATE: SEMINAR SERIES, ACTIVATOR PROGRAM & ACTIVATOR PROGRAM INFO SESSION

Register for Nucleate’s Venture Creation Seminar Spotlight!

About Nucleate
Nucleate is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering tomorrow’s biotech leaders by providing today’s academic trainees with outstanding training and tools. We aim to democratize biotech by creating free and open educational resources. Nucleate is proud to operate in partnership with other student biotech groups.

Motivation
Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic growth in interest on the part of venture capital (VC) firms for in-house creation of biotech ventures. This seminar series will offer an insider's look at the exciting world of VC-led biotech company creation.

We will host representatives from industry-leading VC firms to share how they approach the venture creation process in a case study format. Come learn how some of the most iconic or up-and-coming companies have been born out of these firms!                                                      

REGISTER HERE
Seminars will be held weekly at 6pm ET / 3pm PT.
Zoom info will be shared upon completion of the registration form.

Nucleate's Activator Program - Ready to start your own entrepreneur journey?

Interested in building a life-science startup tackling challenges in human health or sustainability? 

  • Attend an Info Session
    We are holding various in-person and virtual info sessions to answer questions related to our Activator program. Please follow this link for a list of the info sessions, or register here and we will send out email reminders.

Apply today for Nucleate’s equity-free Activator program! The application deadline has been extended to November 8th, 2021.

Follow us on Twitter|LinkedIn

RECRUITING - VAGINAL MICROBIOME STUDY

We invite you to participate in the 2020 HST Microbiome Study, under the direction of the MIT Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics (CMIT)! Our research study aims to assess the effects of clothing breathability on yeast-bacterial interactions in the vaginal microbiome. We are recruiting healthy women between 18 and 50 years of age with regular menstruation cycles. We encourage everyone to apply, as we hope to have a diverse pool of study participants!

The study will be conducted over a two month period. During each month, participants will wear underwear (provided!) and lower-body clothing of either high or low breathability for seven days. Participants will come to building E25 to collect their own vaginal swab samples on days 0, 3, and 7 for each of the two months.

Participants will be provided the necessary undergarments, which they can keep after the study!

If you are interested in participating, sign up here. If you want to learn more or if you have any questions, visit our website here or contact us at clinicalresearch [at] mit.edu (clinicalresearch[at]mit[dot]edu)

We look forward to hearing from you!

DIDJA KNOW ABOUT GRADLINK?

Want to brighten up your feed with resources to keep you at your best physically, emotionally, and financially? Follow us for humor, events, inspiration, and resources to help you thrive and connect!

Instagram @mitgradstudents

Facebook @MIT Grad Link

Twitter @mitgradstudents

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION STUDY - MIT BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH LAB

Have you used virtual conferencing platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams during the COVID-19 Pandemic? Do you wonder how our interactions on these platforms compare to in-person ones?

If so, the MIT Behavioral Research Lab (BRL) invites you to participate in an in-person study investigating how virtual conferencing platforms affect interpersonal communication. The study will involve your completing surveys and participating in two 10-minute virtual conversations with other participants. Compensation for completing this study is $25 in the form of an Amazon gift card, plus multiple opportunities during the study to enter a lottery with four $75 prizes. The study runs for approximately 45 minutes. If you have any questions about the study, please feel free to contact us at: jcnlab [at] gmail.com

STUDY TYPE: In-person at MIT

ELIGIBILITY: You must:

  • Agree to follow MIT’s COVID-19 Safety Protocols
  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Speak English

STUDY DURATION: 45 minutes

COMPENSATION: $25 in the form of an Amazon gift card, plus multiple opportunities during the study to enter a lottery with four $75 prizes.

REFERRAL BONUS: $5 per successful referral. Both you and the referred individual(s) must participate fully in the study in order for you to be eligible to receive a referral bonus.  Additionally, the referred individual(s) must indicate your name and email address as a "Referral" on the study survey question "How did you hear about this study?"

CLICK HERE or use either of the URLs below to participate!
http://tinyurl.com/mitbrlstudy2021
https://survey.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cuVpBs6ZP3WTI2y

Please note that you may only participate in this study once, and you will not be compensated for multiple attempts.

FLIPPING FAILURE - PEER SUPPORT COMMUNITY RESOURCE

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 to provide visibility to stories of academic challenge and resilience so that we can begin shifting the conversation around struggle from something to be ashamed of to something that is human. Struggling is not only part of the human experience, but it is often the result of tackling difficult challenges and learning experiences. We hope that watching peers talk about their challenges and hearing about the productive and healthy strategies they used to cope will help other students discover their own path towards resilience and self-acceptance.

Thanks to Our Partners:
Community Wellness, FAIL!, MindHandHeart, MITell, Office of Graduate Education GradSupport, Student Support Services (S3)

If you are interested in learning more about Flipping Failure or would like to contribute your story, please contact flippingfailure [at] mit.edu (flippingfailure[at]mit[dot]edu).
The content on this site was assembled and is maintained by MIT’s Teaching and Learning Lab.

iREFS SERVICES

What is iREFS?
MIT iREFS is a student group that offers confidential peer-to-peer support to fellow graduate students. 

What do we do?
Our mission is to ensure graduate student wellness, especially in times of uncertainty, stress, and conflict. We provide confidential, peer-to-peer conflict support and coaching. We also provide informed referrals to MIT resources and offices. Further, we organize conflict management workshops for the MIT graduate student community on active listening and difficult conversations.

Please feel free to contact us if you are looking to talk to a fellow grad student regarding an issue that is a cause of concern/stress for you. We are here to provide a listening ear, inform you about key student resources that you could benefit from, and help brainstorm ways to come out of such challenging situations.

You can email us at irefs-contact [at] mit.edu (irefs-contact[at]mit[dot]edu) or sign up with our Google Form to schedule a meeting at a time that is convenient for you.

Subscribe to our Mailing List:
You can subscribe to our mailing list to receive updates about our events!

Want to follow iREFS on social media?
– Join our Facebook group today!
– Follow us on Instagram

MIT INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT NETWORK MAILING LIST

The International Support Network has setup a mailing list to build community and provide support to the international students at MIT. All MIT community members are welcome to join!

The International Support Network is a peer support network for international students and scholars as well as allies. We have been actively monitoring proposed policy changes that relate to remote appointments, housing, international travel as well as visa status for international students. After our July open letter​, we have been following up with ISO on related issues. Given the rapidly changing current situation, we acknowledge the heightened concern among the international community at MIT. With that in mind, we created our mailing list​ where we share information about policy updates (both MIT and federal), provide support, and hold future town halls to hear out community members.​

Sign up for the mailing list to hear about those updates and other resources!

Stay safe and take care everyone!​

Feel free to direct any questions to: international-support-admin [at] mit.edu (international-support-admin[at]mit[dot]edu)

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.

MITAC OPPORTUNITIES

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

The MITAC Ticket Office at Stata is now open! 

MITAC's hours of operation:

  • Stata MITAC Ticket Office (Bldg. 32): Tuesday - Friday, 12-4pm
  • The Lincoln Laboratory MITAC Ticket Office remains closed. ​

We will provide updates on Lincoln Laboratory's ​re-opening plans as they develop.

MITAC​ ~ Your Ticket to Fun for movies, museums, sports, theatre, music, family, seasonal & special events since 1984!

Feel free to stop by and visit!  

We look forward to seeing everyone!

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

Fellowship Newsletter
Our Fellowship Newsletter is a monthly/bimonthly occurrence that includes upcoming opportunities and events, tips on applying to fellowships, announcements, and generally an avenue for us to relay fellowship related information. 

Interested in receiving the newsletter? Please sign up for our mailing list by clicking here. Future Graduate Fellowship Bulletins will be sent right to your email inbox.

Fall Financial Literacy Workshops - Investment Series:

  • Introduction to Investments Part 3 - Tuesday, November 9th, 11:30-12:30 PM EST, Natalie Squillace will return for Part 3 of this series to discuss choosing investment vehicles and offer tips for fund selection. This workshop will build on topics covered by Part 1 and 2. An announcement with the RSVP link will go out closer to the event.

iGrad
OGE 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 & ICEO NEWSLETTERS

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.

Sign up for the ICEO 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

Celebrating 50 years of supporting newcomers, creating connections, building community (1972-2022)

FEATURED NOVEMBER EVENTS

Events and Outings – these events fill up quickly. They are announced in our weekly email update that goes out on Friday afternoons, so make sure you are subscribed! November will bring trips to the Taza Chocolate Factory, the Massachusetts College of Art’s Museum, the Museum of Science, as well as another in-person Crafternoon!

Career Connect Series

This series provides training for MIT spouses and partners who are looking for work or professional development opportunities during their time at MIT. Please register at the links below. All sessions will be held on zoom, except for the Networking event on November 12.

ON-GOING OFFERINGS

Newcomer Office Hour

Mondays, November 15, 29 at 10am on Zoom

Are you new to MIT and MIT Spouses & Partners Connect? Want to learn about how to participate in our meetings and groups? Have questions about childcare, jobs, or English classes? Please join the newcomers Office Hour with Jennifer Recklet Tassi, the Program Manager, and Vika Palesheva, the Program Assistant. Please register here so we know that you are coming.

Weekly Wednesday Meetings at 10am on Zoom

Our weekly meetings are organized by MIT Spouses & Partners Connect staff and volunteers for the spouses and partners of MIT students, scholars, staff, and faculty. Each meeting revolves around a specific topic or activity. We invite speakers from campus, the community or our group to share their expertise.

Just as when we were meeting in person, babies and children are welcome at our meetings. It's okay to come a little late to our meetings, and you can always mute or turn off your video if your children are having a noisy day.

The Zoom link - Meeting ID: 585 674 692

Please email spousesandpartners [at] mit.edu (spousesandpartners[at]mit[dot]edu) for the password.

November 10: Meet MITAC (zoom)
November 17: A 50th anniversary event: Explore MS&PC’s past (zoom)
November 24: Thanksgiving Celebration (zoom)

English Conversation Group on Zoom

If you would like to feel more comfortable conversing in English and work on your fluency via cultural dialogues about life in the US, customs, and current events, then this is for you! Meet other MS&PC members, exchange ideas, and have fun in a friendly environment! All levels of English are welcome. Please contact ecgatmit [at] gmail.com (ecgatmit[at]gmail[dot]com) for more information or for the password to attend the meeting.  Open to members of the MIT community, which includes enrolled students, staff, visiting scientists and scholars, faculty, their spouses and partners.

Monday link - https://mit.zoom.us/j/819691230   at 5 pm

Friday link - https://mit.zoom.us/j/858533002 at 10 am

BEST WAYS TO LEARN ABOUT OUR EVENTS

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

Join our private Facebook Group

Follow us on Instagram @mspconnect

Visit our events calendar at spouses.mit.edu/event-calendar

MIT LANGUAGE CONVERSATION EXCHANGE

Open to all members of the MIT community

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

Follow us on Facebook @MITLCE

Subscribe to our newsletter

Visit our calendar

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

TWO POSTDOC POSITIONS AT STANFORD

1) Postdoctoral scholar in climate mitigation and biomass-based carbon dioxide removal solutions

Carnegie Institution for Science Department of Global Ecology (DGE) at Stanford is seeking creative, collaborative postdoctoral scholars to advance our work on climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions to food, energy and water systems. Specifically, we seek a Postdoctoral Fellow interested in food-energy-water systems and climate mitigation via biomass-based carbon dioxide removal solutions. Research will be highly data-driven, through quantitative research and spatial model development.

There will be flexibility regarding scientific questions to be studied, but potential areas of focus include:

  • Quantifying global biomass-based carbon dioxide removal potential;
  • Identifying options for negative carbon emissions via biomass based carbon dioxide removal;
  • Understanding the future competition of land and water resources for food, energy, and carbon management systems;
  • Investigating how biomass-based carbon dioxide removal can adapt agriculture to climate change;
  • Exploring pathways to reach net-zero GHG emissions in water-energy-food systems.

2) Postdoctoral scholar in sustainable agriculture and climate change

Carnegie Institution for Science Department of Global Ecology (DGE) at Stanford is seeking creative, collaborative postdoctoral scholars to advance our work on climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions to food, energy and water systems. Specifically, we seek a Postdoctoral Fellow interested in sustainable food systems and adaptation of agriculture to climate change. Research will be highly data-driven, through quantitative research and spatial model development.

There will be flexibility regarding scientific questions to be studied, but potential areas of focus include:

  • Analyzing climate change impacts on agriculture and water resources;
  • Determining the response and future challenges to climate change adaptation in food systems;
  • Quantifying crop water demand under global warming and increased CO2 levels;
  • Understanding the feedbacks and impacts of extensive irrigated agriculture on water quality, climate, and soils;
  • Identifying strategies for advancing a sustainable intensification of agriculture and informing policies.

To apply and view full position descriptions please visit the numbered job title links above.

For questions related to these positions please contact Dr. Lorenzo Rosa at: lrosa [at] carnegiescience.edu (lrosa[at]carnegiescience[dot]edu)

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW POSITION - KORSUNSKY LAB (BWH)

Postdoctoral fellow position in the Korsunsky Lab: Computational methods for single cell and spatial omics

The Korsunsky Lab at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School is actively looking for multiple computationally-minded postdocs with a penchant for adventure and teamwork! We use and develop computational methods to study inflamed tissue using cutting edge single-cell and spatial 'omics technologies. As a postdoc, you will be part of two exciting communities, interacting with computational scientists in the BWH division of genetics and center for data sciences and with experts in tissue inflammation in the BWH division of rheumatology, inflammation, and immunity.

Please see our website for more information: korsunskylab.org

MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER (MSK) IS RECRUITING POSTDOCS

Are you a biomedical sciences graduate student interested in pursuing postdoctoral training? Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) is actively recruiting talented researchers to join us for the next phase of their career. MSK is a top-ranked cancer center that consistently produces innovative research aimed at preventing, controlling, and ultimately curing this disease. We are currently inviting graduating or recently graduated PhD students as well as postdocs seeking more experience to apply to be a part of the incredible work we do. We’d greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word about this opportunity amongst your students.

At MSK, postdoctoral trainees can expect a scientifically invigorating environment set in the heart of NYC, an exciting hub for biomedical research. Postdocs would join a vibrant community of nearly 600 others pursuing a fertile range of scientific topics, all the while developing their skills and professional potential among a diverse mix of talented colleagues.

MSK provides postdoctoral researchers with a highly competitive salary and benefits package with yearly increases; full medical, dental, and vision coverage for themselves and any eligible dependents; low-cost housing options, affordable childcare, and minimum of 12 week paid parental leave.

To learn more about the diverse laboratory specialties and to peruse currently open positions, please visit our Postdoctoral Opportunities page HERE and the SKI Career portal HERE.

POSITION AVAILABLE - SYSTEMS BIOLOGY SCIENTIST AT TAKEDA

Are you looking for a patient-focused company that will inspire you and support your career? If so, be empowered to take charge of your future at Takeda. Join us as a Systems Biology Scientist in the Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit in our Cambridge office.

OBJECTIVES/PURPOSE

We have an exciting opportunity for a Systems Biology Scientist to join a multi-disciplinary group that hunts for novel drug targets, elucidates molecular and cellular mechanisms of action, and evaluates the efficacy of new drug candidates.

We are looking for:

  • A creative computational biologist to join the Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit (GI-DDU) and play an important role in our mission to provide innovative therapies for gastrointestinal diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, liver and motility disorders.
  • The candidate will apply state-of-the-art computational approaches to analyze multi-omic and genome-wide, bulk, and single-cell readouts (scRNA-Seq, snucRNA-Seq, CyTOF), proteomics, metabolomics, and spatial datasets.
  • This person will be an integral part of the drug discovery process to deliver on our goals in the larger GI-DDU composed of a matrixed group and have wide visibility within the organization and among our academic and biotech partners.

Find the full job posting here.

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW OPENING - CENTER FOR SYSTEMS BIOLOGY, HMS, MGH

Research Area: Single cell profiling of the tumor microenvironment, exosomes and cancer biology
Full/Part Time: Full Time
Investigator: Weissleder, Ralph

Description:
The lab of Ralph Weissleder in the Center for Systems Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School has a number of openings for Postdoctoral Research Fellows. The ideal candidate should have a background in microfluidics, optics (microscopy), protein/DNA diagnostics, and cell biology, with expertise in system implementation and benchwork. The Center (csb.mgh.harvard.edu) has a diverse faculty with backgrounds in engineering, chemistry, biology, physics, and medicine, and offers a lively and supportive environment in which to perform interdisciplinary science.

Responsibilities:
We seek creative thinkers who take risks in defining and addressing important problems, and who use quantitative experimental, computational and/or theoretical approaches in their work. Research fellows are encouraged to write their own grants, following the training period, to launch their independent research.

Requirements:
A PhD, MD/PhD or MD and permanent residency is required. To apply, please send your CV, a summary of your most significant research accomplishments (300 words) and the email addresses of three references to: Serena Sullivan (Sullivan.Serena [at] mgh.harvard.edu (Sullivan[dot]Serena[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)), CSB, Simches Research Center, 185 Cambridge Street, Suite 5.210, Boston, MA 02114.

RESEARCH SCIENTIST OPENING - CENTER FOR SYSTEMS BIOLOGY, HMS, MGH

Research Area: Immuno-oncology and head and neck cancer
Full/Part Time: Full Time
Investigator: Pai, Sara

Description:
The Pai Lab, in the Center for Systems Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School invites applications for a Research Scientist position. One position is available.

Responsibilities:
The Senior Research Scientist is a highly skilled scientific professional who can independently develop and execute laboratory research studies to support the laboratory’s research endeavors in head and neck immuno-oncology. The person should be proficient in handling and processing human tissue and/or blood. The person is encouraged to write their own grants to launch their independent research.

Requirements:
A PhD and/or MD required in Immunology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or a related field. Three or more years of post-graduate work experience in a laboratory research, preferably within a large, academic setting. Must have proficiency in laboratory methods of molecular biology and/or immunology, and experience with LSRII, Cytof, or single cell RNASeq preferred. Animal skills for treatment, tumor measurement and imaging required. This is a 2-year position with the possibility of an extension.

Please apply to this position here.

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES - MGH MARTINOS CENTER

T32 postdoctoral fellowship opportunities are available for innovative research in multimodal imaging and neurodegeneration at Massachusetts General Hospital - Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging.   

The trainee will pursue a targeted research project under the mentorship of world-class researchers in the Harvard research community in one or more of three key areas: 

[1] data sciences, computational biology, statistics, math/engineering/physics, radiochemistry; 

[2] biology of aging and neurodegeneration; 

[3] drug discovery and development.  

A mission of this program is to promote the development of a diverse, translational research workforce for cross-disciplinary team science relevant for Alzheimer’s disease and AD-related dementias.   

Eligibility: PhD, MD, MD/PhD and U.S. citizen or permanent resident, with rolling admission for 4 training slots.  

See https://pricelab.martinos.org/t32-adrd/ for further information including application instructions.

Please submit questions to:  Krystal Whitfield (T32 Administrative Contact) at T32ADRD [at] mgh.harvard.edu (T32ADRD[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu).   

DATA SCIENTIST POSITION AT PHILIPS

Job Title
Data Scientist

Job Description
If you are a Colorado resident and this role is a field-based or remote role, you may be eligible to receive additional information about the compensation and benefits for this role, which we will provide upon request. You may contact 888-367-7223, option 5, for assistance.

In this role, you have the opportunity to

Apply scientific principles to healthcare problems by analyzing complex data sets. You will create visualizations and develop models to drive data insights and scale algorithms. The data scientist will work with cutting edge cloud-based services and machine learning algorithms to modernize the way AI is deployed in healthcare. In partnership with scientists, physicians, engineers, cloud partners, and business owners you will work backwards from business objectives to drive scalable machine learning solutions and pull through the appropriate technology as needed. You will be a technical leader influencing the analyses and promoting best practices within the team. You should be passionate about working with data, relentless in focus on quality, have a solution mindset, and focused to answer key healthcare challenges.

You are responsible for

  • Delivering an innovative ML solution from beginning to end, including understanding the business need, aggregating data, exploring data, building & validating predictive models, deploying, and monitoring completed models to the organization.
  • Use AWS AI services (e.g. AWS Glue), ML platforms (SageMaker), and frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, SparkML, scikit-learn) to aggregate data and train/deploy ML models.
  • Have a keen ability to analyze, extract, normalize, understand, and label relevant healthcare data.
  • Research and implement novel ML approaches to accelerate interoperability, knowledge extraction, enterprise search, real-time workflow orchestration, and more.
  • Work with our cloud-partners to identify modern cloud-based services that can accelerated Philips ability to aggregate date, as well as train and operationalize ML models.

You are a part of

join an innovation team focused on developing machine learning solutions for healthcare. The team is committed to developing production quality artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that turn hospitals big data into meaningful insights. You’ll be joining a world leading healthcare company that’s committed to innovation and substantiable business practices. This is your opportunity to help Philips make a global impact in healthcare and achieve our commitment towards improving the lives of 3B people by the year 2030.

To succeed in this role, you should have the following skills and experience

  • Masters Degree (with research and development experience) in Statistics, Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Applied Math, Operations Research, or a related field.
  • 3+ years solving business problems using Machine Learning with measurable impact.
  • Prior experience in a machine learning or data scientist role, building and deploying ML models.
  • Hands on experience developing deep learning and other machine learning models (e.g., natural language processing, computer vision, statistical learning theory, graph models).
  • Experience writing code in Python, R, Scala, Java, C++, including documentation for reproducibility.
  • Familiarity with on premise GPU clusters and/or cloud computing services (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure) for training and deploying deep learning models.
  • Experience handling terabyte size datasets, diving into data to discover hidden patterns, using data visualization tools and/or SQL.
  • Experience writing and speaking about technical concepts to business, technical, and lay audiences.
  • Solution driven mindset with demonstrated analytic and independent problem-solving skills through delivering solutions to customers, peer-reviewed publications, and conference presentations.

Preferred QUALIFICATIONS

  • PhD in a highly quantitative field.
  • Experience using AWS services to aggregate data, as well as train, deploy, monitor, optimize models.
  • Demonstrable track record of dealing well with ambiguity, prioritizing needs, and delivering results in a dynamic business environment.
  • Demonstrated successful experience working in a hospital environment.
  • Knowledge of clinical workflow and healthcare operations developed through experience working in a clinical environment.
  • Experience with health care systems, data, and communication standards (PACS, EMR/EHR, RIS, IHE, HL7, DICOM, etc)
  • Familiarity in the use of controlled clinical terminologies and ontologies (UMLS, SNOMED, ICD, CPT, etc)
  • Strong ability to take ownership and work independently

In return, we offer you

The Opportunity to sharpen your talents with new challenges in our dynamic organization. As a market-driven company, we are used to listening to our customers & apply the same thinking to our employees. We offer a competitive salary, outstanding benefits and flexibility in a career with a positive and supportive atmosphere in which to develop your talents further.

US work authorization is a precondition of employment. The company will not consider candidates who require sponsorship for a work-authorized visa.

Company relocation benefits will not be provided for this position. Candidates need to live within the territory or within commuting distance to Cambridge, MA. 

Why should you join Philips?

Working at Philips is more than a job. It’s a calling to create a healthier society through meaningful work, focused on improving 3 billion lives a year by delivering innovative solutions across the health continuum. Our people experience a variety of unexpected moments when their lives and careers come together in meaningful ways. Learn more by watching this video.

To find out more about what it’s like working for Philips at a personal level, visit the Working at Philips page on our career website, where you can read stories from our employee blog. Once there, you can also learn about our recruitment process, or find answers to some of the frequently asked questions.

It is the policy of Philips to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, pregnancy/childbirth, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability or perceived disability, genetic information, citizenship, veteran or military status or a person’s relationship or association with a protected veteran, including spouses and other family members, marital or domestic partner status, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws.

As an equal opportunity employer, Philips is committed to a diverse workforce. In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Veterans' Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants that require accommodation in the job application process may contact 888-367-7223, option 5, for assistance.

Equal Employment and Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veteran

Find more information and an application link here.

JOB OPPORTUNITY: GENOMICS MACHINE LEARNING RESEARCH SCIENTIST (BIOGEN)

Job Description
The Genome Technologies and Computational Sciences (GTCS) group at Biogen is seeking a machine learning research scientist to join in the mission of designing study and applying machine learning and deep learning techniques to omics and biomedical data. The successful candidate will work closely with computational biology experts, IT, geneticists, biologists to design and analyze various Omics studies and biomedical images (fundus images for example) from large registry data (such as UK Biobank). The scientist in this role will build and maintain integrative analysis workflows, cross-indication databases and web-based visualization tool; maintain biological knowledge base, keep the analytical results up-to-date with update of analytical tools, data bases and data sources; apply AI/ML techniques, mainly image-based applications for biomedical problems (single cell transcriptomics, spatial transcriptomics, viral variant calling, fundus images etc.); NGS support in Gene Therapy Accelerator Unit (GTxAU).

Link to job posting: https://jobs.smartrecruiters.com/Biogen/743999767540911-genomics-machine-learning-research-scientist

SBIR PROGRAM DIRECTOR/MEDICAL DEVICES POSITION - NIH

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program

Major Duties & Responsibilities

  • Direct and supervise program activities for a portfolio of biomedical engineering research projects and research programs.
  • Identify emerging technologies and trends in medical devices in the cancer space and develop funding opportunities to encourage applications from leading technology developers in these areas.
  • Develop relationships with venture capital and other private sector investors active in the medical device space to share information on portfolio companies and facilitate fundraising
  • Provide expert advice and make recommendations regarding actions on matters relating to biomedical engineering research for specific research proposals.
  • Manage the research and development of new and revised medical technologies and devices.
  • Engage with and advise companies on their SBIR applications.
  • Review and approve the testing, evaluation, and validation of new and existing medical devices and health care delivery systems.
  • Collaborate with scientists across NIH with the goal of exploring and devising advanced biomedical imaging and biomedical technologies.
  • Present and disseminate information about advances and promising new approaches and development in biomedical engineering research.

For more information, contact Michael Weingarten (weingarten [at] mail.nih.gov (weingarten[at]mail[dot]nih[dot]gov))

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROFESSOR OPPORTUNITIES - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA HEALTH COLLEGES

The University of Florida (UF) has launched an ambitious initiative to hire over 100 faculty in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and ethics in AI to leverage the most advanced computer in higher education, the HiPerGator. As part of this initiative, the six UF Health Colleges will be hiring 16 faculty of diverse backgrounds across disciplines.  Incoming faculty will be a part of the UF Health AI Community and will have priority access to a new AI infrastructure centered around an NVIDIA A100 core, currently ranked as the fasted AI-enabled supercomputers in higher education in the US.

The UF Health Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine - Gainesville, Medicine - Jacksonville, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health & Professions and Veterinary Medicine invites applications for faculty positions at the Assistant, Associate or full Professor rank in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the health sciences. Areas of interest include AI in Decision Support, AI in Diagnostic & Therapeutic Platforms and AI in Determinants of Health. 

We welcome applications from junior and senior researchers, educators, and clinical faculty with a focus and passion for AI methods and applications to real-world health-related challenges. The prospectus is available for review to learn more.  

To review the position description or to apply, please visit the job posting.

THREE POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS - CHAIKOF LAB - HMS

1 - Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Immunity and Tissue Repair: Harvard Medical School
Postdoctoral research fellowship available in the laboratory of Dr. Elliot Chaikof for a candidate with an interest in the role of the innate immune system in tissue repair and regeneration with a particular focus on the development of therapeutic agents for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The candidate is expected to closely interact with an interdisciplinary team of medicinal chemists and GI pathologists to support this drug discovery program. The project will focus on the evaluation of modulators of mucosal immunity and intestinal epithelial repair processes using animal models of colitis and gut organoid assay systems (see Science Advances 2020; 6:eaay8230). PhD in developmental or molecular biology, immunology or related discipline required.

Responsibilities

  • Integrate knowledge from cell and developmental biology, structural biology, transport physiology, molecular biology, and mucosal immunology to determine the contributions of barrier dysfunction to inflammatory bowel disease.
  • Initiate and direct experiments that utilize murine models of colitis and other models of gut barrier dysfunction
  • Apply a variety of in vitro tools, including intestinal organoid assays and conduct molecular and cellular bioassays, flow cytometry, as well as immunohistochemical studies to characterize the mechanism of action of lead compounds.

Requirements

  • Requires a PhD in developmental or molecular biology, immunology or related discipline.
  • Collaborate with members of a multidisciplinary team to efficiently pursue novel strategies that support the discovery of immune modulators for tissue repair and regeneration.
  • Experience in cell and molecular biology, flow cytometry, other complex bioassays, as well as in vivo studies using mouse models.
  • Must be an energetic, out-of-box thinker with positive attitude. Excellent written and oral communication skills are required, as is the desire and ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment.
  • Expert knowledge of scientific principles and concepts. Demonstrated success as exemplified by peer-reviewed publications, scientific creativity, and independent thought.  

Research Collaborator: Omer Yilmaz, MD, PhD (Biology, MIT) - Submit CV to echaikof [at] bidmc.harvard.edu (echaikof[at]bidmc[dot]harvard[dot]edu).

2 - Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Thrombosis: Harvard Medical School
Postdoctoral research fellowship position available in the laboratory of Dr. Elliot Chaikof for a candidate with an interest in defining the prothrombotic pathways and/or biomarkers of increased thrombotic risk among patients with cancer, particularly those with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The candidate is expected to closely interact with an interdisciplinary team of hematologists, oncologists, and medicinal chemists in support of a related drug discovery program. The project will focus on defining the underlying mechanisms that promote a prothrombotic phenotype using animal models of patient derived tumor organoids and organoid assay systems.  This program is a component project within the NIH CLOT (Consortium Linking Oncology with Thrombosis) Consortium.

Second only to the underlying malignancy, venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the leading cause of death in cancer patients. VTE can delay the initiation of cancer treatment and is associated with worse survival. Once VTE occurs, cancer patients have a three- to four-fold higher rate of VTE recurrence compared to patients without cancer. VTE risk is particularly high among patients with pancreatic cancer, but only a subset will develop a VTE. Significantly, the underlying mechanisms that promote a prothrombotic phenotype have not been established nor has the relationship between procoagulant phenotype and tumor subtype based on gene expression signature been defined. PhD in molecular biology, immunology, tumor biology, biomedical engineering or related discipline required.            

Responsibilities

  • Integrate knowledge from tumor biology, molecular genetics, and immunology to determine the molecular mechanisms that promote cancer-associated thrombosis.
  • Initiate and direct experiments that utilize murine models of patient derived tumor organoids.
  • Apply a variety of in vitro tools, including organoid assay systems and conduct molecular and cellular bioassays, flow cytometry, as well as immunohistochemical studies to characterize the relationship between phenotype, tumor subtype, host immune response, and gene expression signature.

Requirements

  • Requires a PhD in molecular biology, immunology, tumor biology, biomedical engineering or related discipline.
  • The candidate is expected to closely interact with a multidisciplinary team to define underlying molecular mechanisms that promote cancer associated thrombosis and related biomarkers of risk.
  • Experience in cell and molecular biology, flow cytometry, other complex bioassays, as well as in vivo studies using mouse models.   
  • Must be an energetic, out-of-box thinker with positive attitude. Excellent written and oral communication skills are required, as is the desire and ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment.
  • Expert knowledge of scientific principles and concepts. Demonstrated success as exemplified by peer-reviewed publications, scientific creativity, and independent thought.  

Project collaborators: Robert Flaumenhaft, MD, PhD (BIDMC); Jeffrey Zwicker, MD (BIDMC) - Submit CV to echaikof [at] bidmc.harvard.edu (echaikof[at]bidmc[dot]harvard[dot]edu).

3 - Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Glycotherapeutics
Postdoctoral research fellowship available in the laboratory of Dr. Elliot Chaikof for a candidate with demonstrated experience in sialylation and post glycosylation modifications, synthesis of large glycans containing amino sugars, and peptide synthesis. The candidate is expected to carry out multi-step synthesis of oligosaccharides and closely interact with chemists to efficiently pursue glycopeptide therapeutics, as well as to develop novel peptide conjugation strategies to support drug discovery. The project will be focused on the synthesis of glycosulfopeptide mimics (see Nat Comm 2015; 6: 6387 doi:10.1038/ncomms7387; Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020, 62:102–111; www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006497121009812). PhD in organic chemistry, chemical biology or medicinal chemistry required.

Responsibilities

  • Initiates and directs the design, synthesis, purification and characterization of oligosaccharides and glycopeptides. 
  • Facilitates the design of new bioactive compounds by interacting with other chemists. Monitors and evaluates completion of tasks and projects. 

Requirements

  • Requires a PhD in organic chemistry preferably with experience in sialylation and post glycosylation modifications, synthesis of large glycans containing amino sugars, and peptide synthesis
  • Experience in glycopeptide chemistry and solid phase peptide synthesis is desirable.
  • The candidate is expected to carry out multi-step synthesis of oligosaccharides and closely interact with

chemists to efficiently pursue glycopeptide therapeutics, as well as to develop novel peptide conjugation strategies to support drug discovery.

  • Must be an energetic, out-of-box thinker with positive attitude. Excellent written and oral communication skills are required, as is the desire and ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment.
  • Expert knowledge of scientific principles and concepts. Demonstrated success as exemplified by peer-reviewed publications, scientific creativity, and independent thought. 

Research Collaborator: Richard D. Cummings, PhD (Harvard) - Submit CV to echaikof [at] bidmc.harvard.edu (echaikof[at]bidmc[dot]harvard[dot]edu).

For all three opportunities, interested candidates should contact:

Elliot L. Chaikof, MD, PhD, Johnson and Johnson Professor, Harvard Medical School, echaikof [at] bidmc.harvard.edu (echaikof[at]bidmc[dot]harvard[dot]edu)
Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (https://hst.mit.edu/users/echaikofbidmcharvardedu)
Harvard Stem Cell Institute (hsci.harvard.edu/people/elliot-chaikof-md-phd)
Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering  (wyss.harvard.edu/team/associate-faculty/elliot-chaikof/)
Harvard-MIT MD-PhD Program Leadership (hms.harvard.edu/md_phd/administration/index.html)
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

The Chaikof lab is located in the Center for Life Sciences Building in the Longwood medical area, directly adjacent to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston Children’s Hospital. - CLS 11090, 3 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA 02115.

ELI HEALTH JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Eli enables women to take control of their health across their lives, by providing them with powerful information on their daily hormone profile.

Eli's initial focus is to give women a no-compromise option to own their fertility and contraception decisions. The inconvenience of existing methods and associated side effects should now be a thing of the past.

We're currently developing a device that uses saliva to monitor female reproductive hormones.

We're hiring for technical and product dev roles and looking for people that have experience with developing in-vitro diagnostic devices.

The job postings provide a little more detail on qualifications we're looking for.

MD ANDERSON TRIUMPH POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAM

The MD Anderson Cancer Center CPRIT Research Training Program provides fundamental, interdisciplinary, and innovative training in cancer research at MD Anderson. This program is the continuation of a highly successful and comprehensive training program supported by the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas. The program includes three tracks: the CPRIT TRIUMPH (Translational Research in Multidisciplinary Programs) post-doctoral, CPRIT Graduate Scholar, and CPRIT Summer Undergraduate Research Programs.

TRIUMPH (Translational Research in Multi-Disciplinary Program) Postdoctoral Fellowship provides training in clinical and translational research. The immediate goal of this program is to recruit talented and productive PhD students from top graduate programs to provide continued training in clinical and/or translational cancer research through didactic course work, clinical rotations, and unique, interdisciplinary mentorships. A long-term goal of this program is to produce translational scientists who can be teamed with suitable physician scientists to PI a translational research laboratory.

This is a three-year training program. First year postdoctoral fellows participate in a series of didactic clinical course work offered at the MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School (GSBS), MD Anderson Cancer Center, or the UTHealth McGovern School of Medicine and strategically matched clinical rotations, while pursuing research in a basic or translational research laboratory. Second and third year fellows are co-mentored by a basic science/translational scientist mentor and a physician/clinical scientist mentor on clinical/translational research projects. The TRIUMPH postdoc will earn a certificate upon successful completion of the program.

Eligibility requirements:

Early-Stage Post-Doctoral Fellows:

  1. PhD or MD/PhD from a top graduate program (U.S. or abroad) in any of the life or natural sciences within the last three years
  2. Dedication to pursue translational cancer research
  3. Junior post-doctoral fellows (less than one and a half years of experience) and graduate students within one year of their anticipated defense date are encouraged to apply
  4. Publications in top tier journals (must have at least one accepted or published first or co-first author paper in a journal with an impact factor >8 at the time of application)
  5. United States citizenship or permanent residency is not required. All foreign fellows must have an active visa for the duration of the fellowship

Established Post-Doctoral Fellows:

  1. PhD or MD/PhD from a top graduate program (U.S. or abroad) in any of the life or natural sciences
  2. Dedication to pursue translational cancer research
  3. Must have no more than 3 years of post-doctoral experience by the time one starts our program if accepted
  4. Has two or more first or co-first author papers in journals with an impact factor of >8. At least one publication should stem from previous post-doctoral work
  5. United States citizenship or permanent residency is not required. All foreign fellows must have an active visa for the duration of the fellowship

A Completed Application will include:

  1. Curriculum Vitae
  2. PDF reprints of all first authored publications
  3. Three letters of recommendation (letters should be written on official letterhead and contain original signatures. They should be submitted by email from the referee's institutional/organizational email account to bmjames [at] mdanderson.org (bmjames[at]mdanderson[dot]org)
  4. A two-page essay describing your goals and dedication toward a career in clinical and translational cancer research (single-spaced, 12 pt. Arial or Times New Roman font)

Deadline: December 31, 2021 (cycle 4, 2021)

For additional information and to view bios and testimonials from our TRIUMPH alumni and current fellows, please visit our website.

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AT THE HARRIS ORTHOPAEDICS LABORATORY AT MGH

PI: Ebru Oral, PhD (HST PhD Alum)

Harris Orthopaedics Laboratory is focused on the development of polymeric and hybrid materials for applications in orthopaedics. The scope of the work at the laboratory generally includes material formulation and testing of mechanical and drug delivery devices in orthopaedic applications, preclinical orthopaedic rodent models for safety and efficacy testing, microbiological testing, and model development for bacterial infections and in vitro co-cultures. Current federally funded projects focus on different delivery devices for pain and infection management as well as understanding the relationship between in-vitro and in-vivo infections. New projects include diagnostic strategies for bacterial infections, bacterial targeting of devices and strategies for bacteria-sensitive devices.

Students will have exposure to our uniquely translational research environment. Radiation cross-linked and antioxidant-stabilized ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene devices developed in our laboratory have become the state-of-the-art devices in total joint replacement are used in patients globally. Our team members also view our projects from this translational lens.

If you are interested, please feel free to contact the PI at eoral [at] mgh.harvard.edu (eoral[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu) and visit the lab for more information.”

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER AT THE INTERSECTION OF VIROLOGY AND FLUID PHYSICS

We are looking for a highly motivated individual as a postdoctoral researcher on a collaborative project at the interface of Fluids and Health driven by the Fluid Dynamics of Disease Transmission Laboratory at MIT, Cambridge, MA and the Mühlberger Laboratory at the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) at Boston University, Boston, MA. The Fluid Dynamics of Disease Transmission Laboratory at MIT, directed by Prof. Bourouiba, has a strong research focus on fluid dynamics and modeling of infectious disease transmission and medical applications at various scales. Dr. Mühlberger’s laboratory at the NEIDL has a strong research focus on viral replication strategies and pathogenesis mechanism of highly pathogenic viruses, including filoviruses, henipaviruses, and more recently, SARS-CoV-2.

The project will focus on the study of currently poorly understood mechanisms of respiratory virus transmission through the lens of fluid- and bio-physics and will be part of an interdisciplinary effort to tackle important knowledge gaps in our understanding of the various phases of host-to-host transmission that are the root of pandemics for a range of viral diseases. Viruses of interest include SARS-CoV-2 and Nipah virus among others. Following applicable background checks and training, this position will require work in the Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) facility at the NEIDL. The individual will be co-mentored by Profs. Bourouiba and Mühlberger and be part of an integrated collaborative interdisciplinary team of virologists, biologists and physical and engineering scientists in their two labs and collaborating labs of Profs. Heldt and Gray at the Institute of Medical Engineering and Sciences of MIT. Specialized training in BSL-4 cell culture infection studies and fluid- and bio-physics concepts will also be provided by the collaborating laboratories.

A PhD in virology, microbiology, biomedical engineering, or other engineering or physical science disciplines is required. Experience in biophysics and modeling, microfabrication and microfluidics is strongly desired. The candidate should have experience in molecular biology and BSL-2 virology with a focus on RNA viruses.

The work to be performed includes SARS-CoV-2 and Nipah virus cell culture infection studies, microscopy and spectroscopy analyses, designing and prototyping devices at various scales using additive/subtractive/molding techniques, functionally testing devices for use in the virological studies, and quantitative analyses of the obtained results, with interfacing with the modelling team members.

Further requirements include the ability to work independently and as part of a team in a multidisciplinary setting, the desire to meet and exceed expectations, a proven commitment to producing accurate, high-quality work, the ability to independently manage time, write, and prioritize deadlines. The candidate is also expected to maintain a safe work environment, prepare regular written reports and presentations, and engage in team and sponsor meetings.

Apply by sending the application package by email to bgadmin [at] mit.edu (bgadmin[at]mit[dot]edu) with the subject line including the following [Fluids and Viruses: Postdoctoral Position]  and attaching a cover letter explaining interest in the job and research vision, CV, a research statement highlighting fit, and three publications considered by the applicant to be representative of their strength and most important contributions and explaining how they showcase their fit and potential for growth and contribution for this position.

Applications will be reviewed on a first come basis until the position is filled.

POST DOCTORAL FELLOW: KIDNEY STEM CELL BIOLOGY, MICROPHYSICOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AND  REGENERATION      

Description:
Opportunity to work at interface of biomedical engineering and kidney stem cell biology and pathophysiology. The work includes development of approaches to regeneration,  injury mitigation and repair. The lab has pioneered development of kidney organoids from human stem cells and applied the technology to measurement of physiological function of epithelial cells as well as models of genetic and non-genetic diseases of kidney and lung. There are many collaborative projects with other biomedical engineering and biophysicist laboratories.  

Responsibilties:
We seek creative individuals, with backgrounds that can vary, who are interested in using basic techniques of stem cell biology, biochemistry, biophysics and engineering to tackle important problems in kidney disease. Knowledge of physiological system approaches are desirable but not mandatory. Should have good writing skills.

Requirements: 
A PhD or MD/PhD or MD and US citizenship or permanent residency. Please email CV, a brief cover letter describing your experience and long term goals

To apply please contact Joseph Bonventre MD PhD at jbonventre [at] bwh.harvard.edu (jbonventre[at]bwh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN DIGITAL PHENOTYPING OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES (MGH)

The Depression Clinical Research Program (DCRP) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School is seeking a creative and computationally skilled postdoctoral fellow to develop next generation digital phenotyping methods that dynamically map psychological states such as depression, stress and perceived happiness, and cognitive function.  The fellow will work at the intersection of basic and translational digital phenotyping methods that seek to identify states of health and illness in older adults and how mind/body and mindfulness therapies may modify behavioral phenotypes. 

The successful candidate will have outstanding programming skills and a doctoral degree in psychology, neuroscience, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, computer science, applied math, or related field. Prior research experience in digital phenotyping is not required. Candidates with a strong background in machine learning, Python, and R statistical computing are encouraged to apply. Creativity, initiative, proven ability to publish, teamwork, self-direction, and excellent oral and written communication skills are key.

The fellow will have the opportunity to benefit from ongoing NIH funded clinical trials of behavioral interventions that, in addition to validated clinical measurements, receive multiple digital data streams.  These include passive and active smartphone sensing through the high throughput Beiwe platform developed by Dr. Jukka-Pekka Onnela’s laboratory at the Harvard School of Public Health, which is a collaborating group on this research.  Other data streams will include custom designed App software delivering psychotherapy and monitoring usage, and wearable devices.  The fellow will receive mentorship from the PI and other DCRP investigators toward the goal of publication of first-authored manuscripts early in the fellowship.  It is expected that this will enable the fellow to apply for independent NIH funding during the fellowship, building on the Principal Investigator’s and DCRP’s successful track record.

The position is full-time for 2 years (with funding extensible for an additional 2 years based on productivity and interest) with benefits. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience, and additional funding for conferences and training seminars. The Massachusetts General Hospital is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and underrepresented minorities in science are encouraged to apply.  Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, the contact information of two references, and a cover letter describing their research background, interests, and professional goals by email to Dr. Felipe Jain (felipe.jain [at] mgh.harvard.edu).

EMBARK - GLADSTONE'S PRESIDENTIAL POSTDOCTORAL PROGRAM

Embark, the Gladstone Institutes Presidential Postdoctoral Program, aims to increase the representation of underrepresented minoritized groups within the sciences and at Gladstone. This program was launched in 2020 as part of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

People are the most important part of our organization and are at the center of everything we do. At Gladstone, we know it takes a diverse group of empowered individuals to effectively use science to overcome disease.

We believe that when we bring together people with diverse approaches and ideas to tackle scientific challenges in creative ways, we create tremendous opportunities for discovering new treatments and cures for disease.

Eligibility

  • Must have completed degree requirements for a PhD or MD/PhD prior to the start of the program.
  • Be a part of a group that has been traditionally underrepresented in the sciences, as defined by the NIH, or have demonstrated support for underrepresented groups through their teaching, service, and research.
  • Be a United States citizen or a permanent resident.

Program Details

  • Scientific Research and Environment
    Gladstone provides a dynamic and collaborative research environment, with emphasis on rigorous scientific training, personalized attention and mentoring, supplemented by close interactions with our colleagues at nearby universities, such as UC San Francisco, UC Berkeley, and Stanford.
  • Career and Professional Development
    Gladstone’s postdoctoral program is built to prepare you for a transition into an independent career, providing training in technical, professional, and leadership skills. Through courses offered at Gladstone, you’ll be able to expand your skills in data science, leadership and management, scientific and grant writing, and communication, in addition to receiving individual career counseling and guidance. Gladstone also hosts a number of events and programs for trainees to explore career opportunities in academics, industry, or nonprofits. Learn more about Gladstone’s postdoc program.
  • Community Building
    Gladstone is home to many community groups that provide opportunities for leadership, collaboration, mentorship, and science education outreach to the local community.

    The Gladstone Postdoc Advisory Committee (GPAC) aims to provide support that maximizes the professional and scientific development of postdocs at Gladstone.

    Outside of the postdoc committee, Gladstone has a number of community groups that connect individuals across labs and teams. Examples include the LGBTQ+ community group, the Women’s Initiative, and Elevated Voices, our community group dedicated to creating an inclusive culture in which people of color are empowered to contribute, learn, and lead.
  • Mentoring
    Mentoring is a central part of Gladstone’s mission and essential to our culture. You’ll receive personalized mentorship and will be able to develop your own skills as a mentor. In addition to Gladstone’s mentoring programs, participants in the Embark program will be able to join monthly social, professional, and career development activities with the UCSF IRACDA (Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award program. All postdocs also have access to personalized career advising sessions with Gladstone’s Postdoc Office.

    You can also grow your skills as a mentor by signing up to be a PUMAS mentor. Gladstone’s PUMAS (Promoting Underrepresented Minorities Advancing in the Sciences) summer internship program aims to provide historically underrepresented community college students with lab experience before they transfer to a 4-year institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. As an Embark participant, you can sign up to mentor a PUMAS intern in your lab over the summer and expand your skills as a scientific and professional mentor.
  • Salary and Benefits
    Participants will receive a postdoctoral salary based on years of experience, Gladstone’s full benefits package, and a stipend of $10,000 per year for the period of the program.

Find more information on the program, application procedure and the selection process here.

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.

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

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

GSAS HARVARD BIOTECH CLUB: 101 SERIES - INDUSTRY POSTDOC

  • Thursday, November 11, 2021
  • 5-6pm on Zoom
  • RSVP here

Learn about how industry postdocs differ from academic postdocs and how to get one from Elizabeth Jaensch, a postdoc at AstraZeneca!

NEW PFIZER CAREER R&D ROTATIONAL PROGRAM

Pfizer Pilots a Groundbreaking Career Program in Cambridge

The Breakthrough R&D Rotational Program is designed to support the improvement of Black and Latinx representation in the life sciences

Find more information here.

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

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.

Find out more about career fairs at MIT.

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)

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