this WEEK in HST

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: WEEKLY INSIGHT

Eliminate Coded Language in the Workplace

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: Weekly Insight posts can be found here.

MIT & HARVARD COVID-19 RESOURCES

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

SPRING 2023 HST COURSE OFFERINGS TO CONSIDER

As you are considering your course schedules this week, here are some courses to consider. 

A full list of HST courses can be found at: https://hst.mit.edu/academic-programs/courses#spring

Spring 2023 (With links to MIT catalog descriptions – course websites as noted)

HST.500 Frontiers in (Bio)Medical Engineering and Physics

HST.515 Aerospace Biomedical and Life Support Engineering

HST.524 Design of Medical Devices and Implants

HST.533 Medical Imaging in Radiation Therapy

HST.537 Fluids and Diseases

HST.538 Genomics and Evolution of Infectious Disease 

HST.552 Medical Device Design [course website: https://meddevdesign.mit.edu/]

HST.584 Magnetic Resonance Analytic, Biochemical, and Imaging Techniques [course website: https://canvas.mit.edu/courses/19729]

HST.590 Biomedical Engineering Seminar Series : Topic - Post-HST Career Pathways

HST.918 Economics of Health Care Industries

HST.936/937/938. Global Health Informatics to Improve Quality of Care

HST.956 Machine Learning For Healthcare [course website: https://mlhcmit.github.io/ ]

HST.962 Medical Product Development and Translational Biomedical Research (2^nd ½ of term) [course website: http://web.mit.edu/hst962/www/index.html]

HST.971 Strategic Decision Making in the Life Sciences

HST.978 Healthcare Ventures [course website: https://linq.mit.edu/about-healthcare-ventures/]

SPRING COURSE - HUMAN 2.0

Interested in Human Augmentation? Register for Human 2.0!

Human 2.0 will cover the principles underlying current and future technologies for cognitive, emotional, social, and physical augmentation. Topics include robotic exoskeletons and orthoses, limb prostheses, neural implants, social-emotional prostheses, and cognitive prostheses.

Students will learn scientific models of the human body from various fields (e.g., biomechanics, neuroscience, psychology), including their application in augmentation technology design for persons of both regular and irregular physiology. The course includes the completion of a semester-long project focused on human subjects testing with associated publication-quality paper.

Direct any questions to human2.0 [at] mit.edu (human2[dot]0[at]mit[dot]edu). 

Course Details

https://www.media.mit.edu/courses/human-2-0/    

MIT Course Number: MAS.600
Units: 0-9-0
Time: Thursdays, 1pm to 3pm
Place: E14-633
Taught by Professor Hugh Herr

SPRING 2023 - EXPLORATORY SEMINAR AT MIT EDGERTON CENTER

MIT Edgerton Center Spring 2023
EC.050/EC.090 (G): Re-create Experiments from History: Inform the Future from the Past

Tuesday Thursday 3pm-5pm. First session   February 7, 2023  

Wonder. Question. Explore. Collaborate. Reflect.

This hands-on seminar opens space and time to explore your own curiosity.

Collaborate in experimenting with everyday materials, instruments and methods of science and art, from history and indigenous practices.  Listen to past voices: Euclid, Galileo, Ibn al-Haytham, da Vinci, Banneker, Dewey, Janaki Ammal, poets, artists and others.  Examine injustice.  Build a learning community with classmates. Encourage each other’s curiosity.   Museum visits and field trips. Past projects include: watching the sky; following shadows; art projects with historical methods; using and making historical instruments; making educational videos; collaborative experiments; presentations; enacting historical and feminist drama; MIT History…  What will you notice and question, explore and express? Your own story uncovers insights for educational research.

Contact: Elizabeth Cavicchi ecavicch [at] mit.edu (ecavicch[at]mit[dot]edu)

NEW DESIGN CLASSES FOR SPRING 2023

The Integrated Design & Management program is offering new classes on human-centered design and product design that will be open to all MIT students. We would love to have your help to spread the word among your graduate students and undergrads. Our fall classes included undergrads and grads across all 5 MIT Schools, 9 majors, Harvard, and Wellesley.

Here are our new classes for Spring:

EM.S21 Digital Lamp: Design/Make/Illuminate
6 units, no prereqs (graduate level class open to undergrads)
Lecture: TR 1:00-2:30 (4-013), Lab: TR 2:30-4:00 (4-013)

Design, prototype, and build a lamp (or other household product) using a variety of techniques, machines, and materials. Build a circuit with LEDs, sensors, and an Arduino microcontroller. Learn to sketch, use CAD, work with wood and metal, cast plastic parts, 3D print, and laser cut. See details here.

EM.S22 – UX Research, Design, and Innovation
12 units, no prereqs (graduate level class open to undergrads)

Taught with 4.S00
Lecture: MW 2:00-3:30 (4-013), Lab: MW 3:30-5:00 (4-013)

A deep dive into the entire human-centered design process from user research through prototype that will help you uncover what people need and develop creative solutions to meet those needs. Apply user experience design principles to mock up a digital product and use business methods to formulate a business model and go-to-market strategy. See details here.

Fill out an application form for these courses today!

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.

Have you registered for your favorite class yet? Wellness Classes begin February 1 - sign up today!

View all Community Wellness classes here.

If you are looking for a crash course in sleep, Community Wellness now offers an award-winning student sleep health course, Sleep 101, via MIT Atlas (requires a Touchstone account to view). Topics may each be viewed separately:

• How to figure out your sleep need and best timing
• Effects of sleep debt: short-term (days to weeks) and long-term (months to years)
• Performance enhancement effects of sleep for memory, testing, and athletic goals
• Sleep and immune system function
• Quantity and timing of caffeine
• Alcohol and sleep
• How lack of sleep reprograms the brain for food cravings and metabolism problems
• Sleep cycles overview
• Sleep disorders and issues overview – insomnia, snoring
• Sleep and safety – applicable to lab safety and drowsy driving

Sleep 101 focuses on quality of life – how to use sleep as a tool to get the most out of school.

The full course takes 45 minutes to complete. Although it is geared toward students, it is applicable to anyone who sleeps. Please get in touch with any questions about Community Wellness sleep programs: 

Zan Barry bars [at] med.mit.edu (bars[at]med[dot]mit[dot]edu)

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 specialists 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 scheduler to make in-person and virtual 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.

UPCOMING EVENTS FROM THE TEACHING + LEARNING LAB (TLL)

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

2022-23 TLL Speaker Series: Reigniting the Spark of Learning

Students' Sense of Belonging Matters: Evidence from Three Studies
Presented by Dr. Maithreyi Gopalan, Penn State University

• Thursday, February 16 at 2:00 pm ET (ONLINE)
• All are welcome! Please register via Eventbrite.

Over the last decade, research examining and documenting the importance of students’ sense of belonging in college has increased substantially. In this workshop, Dr. Gopalan will provide a broad overview of this research and the accumulating evidence regarding the critical role that feelings of belonging play in helping students thrive in college.Specifically, Dr. Gopalan will present examples from three studies she has conducted to unpack the various facets of belonging among college students with a specific eye toward highlighting practice and policy-relevant insights for higher education, this includes:

• Their significance and linkages with academic outcomes as well as mental health.
• How students’ sense of belonging has been conceptualized and defined in the literature within the post-secondary context, and how it varies by student and institutional characteristics.
• A summary of the evidence from particular approaches and interventions used to foster student belonging in colleges.
• Reflections on some of the open questions for the field when it comes to fostering students’ sense of belonging in college.

About the Speaker
Maithreyi Gopalan is an Assistant Professor of Education and Public Policy at The Pennsylvania State University. She earned a PhD in Public Affairs from Indiana University, Bloomington. Broadly speaking, her research interests center on bringing social psychological insights to bear on education and social policy, writ large. She uses experimental and quasi-experimental research methods to conduct interdisciplinary, policy-relevant, research that has a strong focus on examining the causes and consequences of racial and socioeconomic disparities in educational outcomes.

For 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.

BridgeResearch: A Networking Event Series

BridgeResearch is a series of networking events for professionals working in clinical and translational (c/t) research at Harvard University and beyond. In these events, hosted by our Postgraduate Education program, attendees are invited to connect with one another while learning more about our program opportunities.

We look forward to connecting with you and expanding our clinical and translational research community together.

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.

INNOVATORS IN THERAPEUTICS SPEAKER SERIES WITH DR. ADAM ROGERS

Hosted by Harvard – MIT Center for Regulatory Science

• Wednesday, February 15, 2023
• 12pm ET
• Register now!

Please join us for the Innovators in Therapeutics Speaker Series, a guest lecture series for students and trainees in academia interested in learning about the challenges and successes of bringing novel drugs and devices to market. Our distinguished speaker is Dr. Adam Rogers, Interim President, NerveGen Pharma.

Dr. Rogers will discuss his career journey from academia to biotech, his experience in founding and leading a clinical stage gene therapy company and innovation in therapeutics development. Students and trainees are invited to come with questions and engage directly with the speaker.

Agenda

• Introduction
• Q&A with Dr. Rogers, moderated by CRS leadership
• Discussion with students and trainees

About Our Guest
Adam Rogers, MD is a board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous. Dr. Rogers co-founded Hemera Biosciences in 2010, a clinical stage gene therapy biotech company targeting dry age-related macular degeneration. He assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer in 2017 and oversaw all aspects of the company until the Hemera assets were acquired in December 2020 by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Dr. Rogers graduated from Emory University College and Emory School of Medicine.

From 2001 to 2020 he served as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the New England Eye Center of Tufts Medical Center (Boston, MA). Dr. Rogers has published 25 articles in peer reviewed journals and co-authored two textbooks and numerous chapters in major ophthalmic textbooks. Since 2007 he has served on the board of One Family Inc., an organization whose mission is to end homelessness in Massachusetts. He is a member of the Emory University Board of Trustees.

MLK VISITING SCHOLAR DANIELE AUGUSTE

Entrepreneurship, Social Mobility and the “American Dream”: How Economic Inequality Undermines It All

• Thursday, February 9, 2023
• 12 - 1pm
• Hybrid event
• Register here

Entrepreneurship has long been regarded as the most direct path to achieving the "American Dream" – success, wealth, independence, and the social mobility that allows people and communities to prosper. Yet, without access to the resources necessary to get great ideas off the ground, the American dream never becomes a reality.

MLK Scholar in the Sloan School of Management Daniel Auguste unpacks how economic inequality undermines the entrepreneur, and how his own story intertwines with these concepts.

We are committed to making this event fully accessible to everyone who wants to attend. Please let us know if there is anything you need to participate fully in this event by e-mailing vulfp [at] mit.edu (vulfp[at]mit[dot]edu).

ANNUAL MIT MICROBIOME SYMPOSIUM - ABSTRACT SUBMISSION OPEN

The MIT Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics and the MIT Microbiome Club are proud to invite you to participate in our annual MIT Microbiome Symposium to be held on Friday, April 7, 2023 from 9am-5pm at the MIT Media Lab (E15). Abstract submission is officially open!

The symposium will feature talks from established and young investigators, poster sessions, expert Q&A sessions, industry representatives, and a networking social to close the symposium. For more details, please check out our website. This year we are proud to host Dr. Paul Turner (Yale University) and Dr. Shipra Vaishnava (Brown University) as our two keynote speakers.

To participate in the event:

1. Submit an abstract! Abstracts can be considered for either a flash talk or poster. Posters will also participate in our annual poster competition. Deadline for submission: February 17th, 2023.
2. Registration (free!) will open in mid-February. Details on registering can be found here on February 10th.
3. Please tell others about this event! Feel free to circulate this email to others who might be interested.

Please contact cmit.microbiome [at] gmail.com (cmit[dot]microbiome[at]gmail[dot]com) with any questions or inquiries.

Your participation in this symposium is free. Our goal is to showcase the diverse opportunities available in the field of microbiome science, and we hope that you can join us!

We look forward to seeing you in April!

CALL FOR PAPERS: 13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HEALTH, WELLNESS & SOCIETY

We are pleased to share with you the Call for Papers for the Thirteenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society, to be held at UBC Robson Square, Vancouver, Canada, September 14-15, 2023.

The Health, Wellness, & Society Research Network is brought together by a common concern in the fields of human health and wellness, and in particular their social interconnections and implications. We seek to build an epistemic community where we can make linkages across disciplinary, geographic, and cultural boundaries.

Sign up for our newsletter, like us on Facebook and LinkedIn, or join the Scholar Community to keep up to date.

Program
Each year the International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society attracts participants from all over the world. Our Program Development team draws on this diversity to craft a rich and distinctive conference experience, with session types and programming explicitly designed to make the most of both online and place-based social knowledge processes.

Special Focus
Digitizing Health and Wellbeing

In addition to the annual focus, we invite proposals addressing one of the following themes.

Plenary Speakers:

Robert Sindelar, Professor and Dean Emeritus, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Canada

Ted Schrecker, Emeritus Professor of Global Health Policy, Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, UK

In Person + Online
You can present and/or attend as an In-Person or Online Only delegate. Our model seeks to transcend physical boundaries by offering a platform to extend in-person conference content online while ensuring online-only delegates are afforded participatory and experiential spaces within the platform. At the same time, the model offers participants a legacy resource to which they can return in the Event application, with access to a social space in our Community application where fellow participants can keep connected long after the conference ends. 

With this step-by-step guide, you can get an insight into the new phases pre/during/post-conference of the conference experience. 

Social Events
Conference Tour: Walking Tour of Vancouver
Join other delegates for a walking tour of Vancouver. You will experience how walkable Vancouver is with some highlights of the downtown and the great views. The tour will also include transportation from the meeting point via Skytrain and water taxi.

Sign Up for Social Events

Companion Journal
All presenters are also encouraged to submit their papers to the companion journal, The International Journal of Health, Wellness, and Society. Find out more about the journal and submission process.

Important Dates
We welcome the submission of proposals at any time of the year. All proposals will be reviewed within two to four weeks of submission. 

Upcoming Proposal and Registration Dates

• Proposal – Early Deadline – February 14, 2023
• Registration – Early Deadline – March, 14, 2023, Regular Deadline – August 14, 2023

Want to Present in Spanish? Submit Spanish Language Proposal

THE DATA OPEN

Hosted by Citadel LLC and Citadel Securities in partnership with Correlation One, the Data Open is inviting students who identify as women all across North America to compete at our first-ever Women’s Datathon this February.

Taking place from Friday, February 3rd to Saturday, February 4th in Miami, Florida, the competition will be a two-day long event and is all-expense-paid. Top performing students have the opportunity to win USD$15,000 in cash prizes and exclusive recruiting opportunities with Citadel. The event is open to all the current undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students who identify as women.

Sign Up Here!

We will also be running our annual events in-person East Coast Datathon and Virtual East Coast Terminal: 

• April 21-22: In-Person East Coast Regional Datathon

Datathons are data science competitions that challenge students from the world's best universities to tackle real-world social challenges in topics such as urban traffic, renewable energy, and education. APPLY FOR DATATHON!

• March 20 - 27: Virtual East Coast Regional Terminal

Terminal is an online game where software engineers and computer scientists (or anyone else interested in coding!) build an algorithm to play a tower defense game in a team-based setting. Watch this video to see Terminal in action! APPLY FOR TERMINAL!

Admissions are made on a rolling basis, so complete your application before we reach full capacity. 

Please don't hesitate to reach out to us at competitions [at] correlation-one.com (competitions[at]correlation-one[dot]com) if you have any questions. Good luck!

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

ASHDOWN HOUSE FOREVER 5: WINTER EDITION

This Saturday, February 4, start off the semester with a blast from your past at Forever 5: Winter Edition! 

From 1pm to 3pm, Ashdown House's Hulsizer Room will transform into a celebration of childhood with a ton of classic kids meals, crafts, activities, and games. Munch on dino nuggets and fries, mini pizzas, fruits, veggies, and more! Enjoy delightful desserts including Rice Krispies treats and snowman cupcakes! Engage with activities such as finger painting, building with LEGO bricks, making snow globes, and playing with snow slime! 

This event is sponsored by the Large Event Fund (LEF) and Ashdown House and is open to all members of the MIT community, so be sure to bring all your friends! 

Please let us know if you'll be coming by RSVP'ing here.

We look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions, please e-mail ashdown-events [at] mit.edu (ashdown-events[at]mit[dot]edu).

RESEARCH FELLOW OPPORTUNITY - CLINICAL TRIAL

Looking for Research Fellow for assistance with a clinical trial on multiplexed ventilation 

Backgrounds/Interest: Biomedical Engineering, Respiratory Medicine, ICU Care 

Project Prana, 501c3, is a nonprofit spun out of MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital focused on medical technology development for global health contexts. We are carrying out a clinical trial in India- testing a ventilation multiplexing platform. We are looking for a research collaborator to assist with data analysis and presentation. 

This position is ideal for graduate students, medical students and residents seeking to gain impactful research experience. You will work in an interdisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs from MIT, Harvard, Harvard Medical School. Work will be remote and is expected to take 4 hours/week over a 2 month time period. 

Interested individuals should email pranaforcovid [at] gmail.com (pranaforcovid[at]gmail[dot]com)

MIT 3RD ANNUAL RESEARCH SLAM & THREE MINUTE THESIS (3TMTTM) COMPETITION

Looking to build your research communication skills?

Excited to compete for hundreds of dollars in prizes?

Participate in MIT's 3nd Annual Research Slam and Three Minute Thesis (3MTTM) competition!

Learn more at our website, and check out and register for events to help you prepare below!

Research Slam 2023 Information Session

Wednesday, February 8, 2023; 3pm - 4pm; Virtual Session

During this information session, learn why you should participate in the Research Slam competition, how you can prepare and submit your application, and which resources can help you during this process. Registration required via Handshake. This CAPD event is open to MIT PhDs and postdocs.        

Research Slam 2023 Workshop 1: Creating a Compelling 3-Minute Talk

Wednesday, February 15, 2023; 12pm - 1:30pm; Virtual Session

This interactive workshop will help you develop key skills to prepare your own talk: distilling your central message, building it into an engaging story, and crafting a visually appealing slide. Registration required via Handshake.

Research Slam 2023 Workshop 2: Deliver to Win: Present Your 3-Minute Talk Effectively

Wednesday, February 22, 2023; 3pm - 4:30pm; Virtual Session

This activity-based workshop will help you build confidence as a presenter and will equip you with life-long tools to deliver your ideas eloquently, engagingly, and effectively

ELI LILLY AND COMPANY GENETIC MEDICINE GRAND CHALLENGE

Calling all biotech entrepreneurs! Are you an academic trainee with a genetic medicine idea/business venture?

Nucleate is excited to announce the inaugural Eli Lilly and Company Genetic Medicine Grand Challenge. Lilly will be providing $300,000 in grants to promising projects addressing unmet needs in genetic medicine. The Grand Challenge will accept applications until March 1st, 2023, and selected semi-finalists will have the opportunity to visit Lilly HQ, network with top executives and scientists from the Lilly community, and pitch on stage for their chance to win one of the three $100K non-dilutive grant awards!

We are accepting proposals spanning various categories in genetic medicine, including:

• Genome engineering
• Regenerative medicine
• Delivery/manufacturing
• An open umbrella category

Researchers interested in being considered for each of The Eli Lilly and Company Genetic Medicine Grand Challenge grants may submit their proposals at this link. Proposals must be submitted no later than March 1, 2023. Affiliation with Nucleate is not required in order to apply.

LASKER FOUNDATION ESSAY CONTEST

The Lasker Foundation is offering a career-building opportunity for medical students / biomedical research fellows / grad students in the health professions, et. al.

It’s a medical essay contest that opens February 8, 2023. Submissions [in English] are accepted through March 31, 2023.

Lasker is home of the top US biomedical research prize for 75+ years. In addition, their student essay contest attracts hundreds of talented, early-career medical students and researchers—brings them under the Lasker umbrella — invites them to hone their communications skills — and provides several winners with up to $5000 to offset university expenses (along with a coveted resume-building opportunity).

Further information about the Essay Contest available here

Further information about past winners available here

ENVISIONING THE FUTURE OF COMPUTING $10K PRIZE COMPETITION

The Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC), a cross-cutting initiative within the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, in collaboration with the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, invites MIT students to envision the future of computing.

Tell us your ideas, aspirations, and vision for what you think the future holds. The winning entry of the Envisioning the Future of Computing competition will be awarded a $10K prize. Submissions are due by midnight on February 28, 2023.

Jump to category: The Assignment | Goals of the Prize | Eligibility | Submission Details | Prizes | IAP Workshops & Help | UROP Opportunity | Judging

VOLUNTEER RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS NEEDED

A research group in MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering is seeking volunteer research participants who are willing to undergo a standard ultrasound exam in order to study the effectiveness of a new medical device. The ultrasound exam and study activities will take 90 minutes total. There is also a 30-minute electronic consent Zoom meeting which will be done in advance of the in-person activities. No compensation will be provided.

Participants must be aged 18 to 65. Individuals who are pregnant are asked not to participate in this study.

If interested, please follow this link to sign up for the study.

Please email aprila [at] mit.edu (aprila[at]mit[dot]edu) with any questions.

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.

Available positions are listed at the current Fellow positions page.

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).

MITAC OPPORTUNITIES

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

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

• Online: web.mit.edu/mitac
• On campus: The MITAC Stata Center ticket office is open Tues-Fri 12-4pm.

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.

Other financial literacy resources:

iGrad!

Check out the completely free iGrad Financial Literacy platform (offered in collaboration with the MIT Federal Credit Union).

Customized for MIT, iGrad includes 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, and spending-smarts. It is a great financial literacy tool for students and the MIT community in general. Find more information at https://mit.igrad.com/. We encourage everyone to sign up!

OGE website’s Financial Literacy section: https://oge.mit.edu/finances/financial-literacy/

OGE website’s fellowships section: https://oge.mit.edu/finances/fellowships/ including Fellowships Tips: https://oge.mit.edu/finances/fellowships/fellowship-tips/

Please reach out to the OGE at grad-ed [at] mit.edu (grad-ed[at]mit[dot]edu) with questions about our workshops or our financial literacy resources.

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 SPOUSES & PARTNERS CONNECT AND MIT LANGUAGE CONVERSATION EXCHANGE

MIT Spouses & Partners Connect - open to all significant others of MIT students, postdocs, and staff 

The best way to stay up to date on all of our events and activities is to subscribe to our email newsletter!

SAVE THE DATE

Ice Skating Party
Monday, February 13 from 5:30-8pm
Community Ice Skating at Kendall Square, 300 Athenaeum St, Cambridge
Embrace winter with MIT Spouses & Partners Connect! We invite you and your friends and family members to an evening of outdoor fun. Free admission and free skate rentals for all. Bring your own skates if you have them. MIT ID required for free skate rental. Children are welcome! Sponsored by the MIT International Scholars Office. 

FOR PARENTS

Open Recreational Swim for off-campus graduate & postdoc families
Recreational swims are a fun and positive way to practice new skills, be physically active, and spend quality time with family and friends in the pool. This opportunity is cost-free to MIT off-campus families, thanks to financial support from MIT Spouses & Partners Connect.
Register here.

Toddler Time
Wednesdays at 10am at Site 4
All kids from newborn age to 3.5 years old are welcome! You can bring siblings as well. This peer-led group will allow you to meet other parents and children for free play time and other activities. Snacks will be provided. This group is sponsored by Westgate, Graduate Tower at Site 4, and MIT Spouses & Partners Connect.

ON-GOING OFFERINGS

Weekly Wednesday Meetings
2-4pm in E23-009
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. Babies and children are also welcome! Please be sure to bring a toy or activity that your child will enjoy. Please enter the E23 basement from the E25 atrium. You can access the basement by either the stairs or elevators.  When you are at basement level, follow the signs to Room 009.

Conversation Group
Meetings begin on Friday February 10
Meet other MS&PC members from all over the world, get resources and information about life at MIT/Cambridge/Boston, exchange ideas, and engage in cultural conversations in a friendly and casual environment, while working on English fluency. This group will meet outdoors on campus while the weather permits and then will move to zoom meetings. Please contact ecgatmit [at] gmail.com (ecgatmit[at]gmail[dot]com) if you have any questions.

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

Appointments will be available at various times during the week.
Book a 30-minute private Zoom or in-person appointment here: https://mspc.youcanbook.me

BEST WAYS TO LEARN ABOUT OUR EVENTS
Subscribe to our email updates: http://spouses.mit.edu/join/subscribe

Join the MITFamilies Slack Space: bit.ly/mitfamiliesslack

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.

Meet Eat Speak – Spring 2023 Events
Practice a language with a group of native speakers and other language learners, meet other language lovers, and learn about the LCE.
Lunch from 12-1pm in the Bush Room (10-105) – Register here

• Monday February 13
• Monday March 13
• Thursday April 6

Snacks from 5-6pm in the Bush Room (10-105) - Register here

• Monday February 27
• Monday March 27
• Thursday April 20

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

Visit our website: http://lce.mit.edu

• Search and contact native speakers of languages you want to practice for one-on-one conversation held at your convenience
• Watch this video to learn how our website works

Join our Slack Space: https://bit.ly/lce-slack

• Join or create channels for the languages you are interested in
• Practice your writing skills while meeting other people at MIT who share your language interests

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://lce.mit.edu/subscribe

• Stay informed about upcoming small group meetings & events

GET IN TOUCH WITH THE LCE

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

Follow us on Facebook @MITLCE

Visit our calendar

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.

MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM PRECISION & GENOMIC MEDICINE T32 PROGRAM

We are pleased to announce that the Mass General Brigham Training Program in Precision & Genomic Medicine, supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), is now accepting applications for the 2023-2025 academic cycle. 

The MGB Training Program in Precision & Genomic Medicine, co-led by Jordan W. Smoller, MD, ScD, and Heidi Rehm, PhD, brings together three outstanding components to build a world-class training program in precision and genomic medicine: 1) an internationally-recognized faculty with expertise in precision and genomic medicine across a broad range of disciplines, 2) outstanding institutional resources bridging clinical, genomic, and data sciences, and 3) deep engagement with cutting edge, collaborative initiatives at the regional, national, and international levels to provide rich training experiences.

Funding is for 2-years and awards cover salary, travel to professional meetings, and other training-related expenses. Trainees will perform research in their respective Mentor’s lab but will participate in all T32 training related requirements (meetings, journal club, etc.)  throughout the Mass General Brigham Healthcare System.

For more eligibility and program information, as well as for a link to application materials, please visit our website at https://cgm.massgeneral.org/training-program/.  

Application materials are due February 25, 2023 at 5pm, and the fellowship term begins July 2023. 

Please direct any inquiries to Program Manager, Marina Wilson (mwilson49 [at] mgh.harvard.edu (mwilson49[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)).

POST-DOCTORAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITY

We are pleased to announce openings in our Organ Design and Engineering Post-doctoral Training Program (ODET).  This T32 training grant is funded by NIBIB and is based at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, with mentors from Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess, Boston Children’s Hospital and MIT, Boston, Massachusetts.

Our goal is to provide multidisciplinary research training to post-doctoral fellows.  Individuals accepted to this program will work in laboratories of Harvard and/or MIT faculty.  An important feature of the program is additional training in an area of expertise outside of their primary research field. Working at the intersection of engineering and developmental/regenerative biology, trainees will learn a new language in translational medicine and ultimately develop a common dialect that effectively bridges different disciplines to create innovative organ designs and find engineering solutions in medicine.  The program utilizes a dual mentor model where fellows spend time in the laboratories of two mentors and are able to facilitate active communication across laboratories, institutions and geographic boundaries. 

We are now actively evaluating candidates for the Program. The deadline for applications is March 15, 2023. Applicants will be selected on a rolling basis. Trainees must be US citizens or permanent residents.  Candidates must have an MD or PhD to qualify.

If you would like more information or know of specific candidates who you would recommend for this training program, please email BWHODET [at] partners.org (BWHODET[at]partners[dot]org).

Joseph V. Bonventre MD, PhD, Program Director
Samuel A. Levine Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Constantine L. Hampers, MD Distinguished Chair in Renal Medicine; Chief, Division of Renal Medicine; Chief, Division of Engineering in Medicine
Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Luke Lee PhD, Associate Program Director
Professor, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

STANFORD PROPEL 2023 APPLICATION NOW OPEN

Launched in 2021, the Propel Postdoctoral Scholars Program seeks to empower outstanding scientists, prepare future faculty leaders, and create and a community of promising bioscientists from backgrounds historically underrepresented in academia who are interested in becoming faculty. Propel is a 2-year cohort-based program that provides a $80,000 annual salary with benefits and $5,000 supplemental research funds.

Propel is designed to help you thrive in your postdoc and faculty career with programming that supports community-building, career development to navigate the transition to a faculty career, and professional skills like grant writing, science communication, networking, and mentoring.

Eligible applicants are encouraged to stanfordpropel [at] stanford.edu (contact the Propel team) for guidance on preparing a successful application, including connecting with potential mentors.

Propel applicants are:

• US Citizens, Permanent Residents, Dreamers, or DACA-mented
• PhD/MD holders by funding start
• Interviewing/working with a Stanford School of Medicine faculty mentor

Application due June 1, 2023

Apply today! 

ENCORA THERAPEUTICS RECRUITING ITS FIRST HIRE

Encora Therapeutics is an MIT spin-out medical device company currently recruiting for our first hire.

Encora, an MIT spinout, has developed a breakthrough wearable medical device aimed at reducing hand tremors in patients with conditions such as Parkinson Disease and Essential Tremor syndrome. These two conditions together affect over 90 million patients worldwide. Our prototypes have demonstrated the ability of our technology to dramatically mitigate tremors and other dyskinesias. Additionally, with extended use, it could potentially “rewire” the brain for long-term therapeutic movement disorder relief via entrainment and neuroplasticity. Everything we do contributes toward our driving mission to help this enormous, underserved population. The company is headquartered in Boston.

About The Team
You will be the first hire of this early stage company, contributing significantly to the company’s product development efforts. The founding team consists of three highly ambitious, energetic, and hardworking MIT engineers. The project is currently in a R&D phase; we are rapidly iterating
and implementing ideas to progressively de-risk our technical, clinical, and market strategies.

About The Role
In this role, you will leverage your experience as a mechanical/electrical engineer to assist in the development of our commercial, clinical, and internal products. More specifically, you will be partly or wholly responsible for: designing and testing products, prototypes, and circuit boards;
programming off the shelf and custom circuit boards; testing products with customers/patients; analyzing data; and other miscellaneous product development work.

Our job description and application form can be found here.

JOB OPENING - AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, BRIGHTEDGE

Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Position Type: Full-time

At the American Cancer Society, we're leading the fight for a world without cancer. Our employees and 1.5 million volunteers are raising the bar every single day. We actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds including communities of color, the LGBTQ community, veterans, and people with disabilities. The greater the diversity of our people, the better we can serve our communities.

The people who work at the American Cancer Society focus their diverse talents on our lifesaving mission. It is a calling. And the people who answer it are fulfilled.

Position Description

This position is a remote role located in the US, with a preference to reside in the Northeastern US.

JOB SUMMARY

Since 1913, the American Cancer Society has been dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer.  BrightEdge is the American Cancer Society’s impact investment and VC arm that seeks to defeat cancer through patient centric innovation. BrightEdge propels groundbreaking solutions to accelerate ACS’s bold vision of ending cancer as we know it, for everyone.

ACS Impact Venture Fund (IVF) represents an evergreen fund investing in the most innovative startup companies developing novel technology-based solutions to advance science, reduce disparities, and promote sustainability. The current fund size stands at $73 million and is targeted to reach $100 million by end of 2023 through fundraising and investment returns. The portfolio currently includes a portfolio of 17 investments across therapeutics, medical device, diagnostics and healthtech.

The BrightEdge team uses a triple bottom-line approach by evaluating mission-driven social impact and financial return potential for investment, in order to help fuel and deliver the Society’s life-saving programs in research, access, and health equity.

The Senior Associate will partner with the BrightEdge Team to source and diligence early stage private company opportunities and provide support to the growing investment portfolio. The Senior Associate will source, track, and evaluate potential investments, conduct in-depth due diligence on both the scientific and business merits of select deals, and develop investment recommendations. In addition, the Senior Associate will curate the deal flow, from initial contact through execution, and will assist with portfolio-related matters.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop investment views based on innovation trends matched to in-depth understanding of patient-centric unmet need, Including company/technology landscaping activities
• Source investment opportunities by development of relationships with entrepreneurs, company advisors, scientific founders and co-investors; attendance of networking events, relevant industry conferences
• Organize deal flow funnel and track/support co-investor relationships
• Perform due diligence on prospective portfolio companies, including primary and secondary market research, detailed scientific and technical analysis, detailed impact assessment, competitive analysis, investment documentation review, and financial modeling.
• Generate actionable investment case for mature prospects by completing rounded and integrated analysis
• Draft prequalification and final investment memos, summarizing all aspects of the investment recommendation to BrightEdge team and the investment committee, and participate directly in investment committee discussions;
• Support the IVF portfolio, by attending target company management meetings, assisting with quarterly and annual reporting needs
• Research and generate evidence for ACS’ mission and programmatic activities in impact investment.
• Ecosystem stakeholder engagement across ACS researchers, professors, research institutions, advisory network; alliance management with innovation partner network. Support ACS fundraising, community development, and donor/investor relations.

Position Requirements

FORMAL KNOWLEDGE

Advanced degree holder (PhD or MD) in oncology-related field. At least 3-5 years of experience in venture capital and innovation (business development, external innovation, strategy consulting) in the biomedical/healthcare industry. MBA desirable.

COMPETENCIES/SKILLS

• Deep scientific background in life sciences with strong understanding of cancer biology.
• Prior investment experience in the biomedical/healthcare industry, additional experience in a startup or innovation setting (Business Development, External Innovation, Strategy consulting).
• Motivated by impacting the lives of patients through biomedical- and healthtech innovation
• Builds networks - Effectively builds formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization.
• Cultivates innovation - Creates new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
• Optimizes work processes - Knows the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Strong oral and written communication skills— Analytical/evaluative thinker. Excellent attention to detail
• Capacity to travel up to 25%. Frequent travel to onsite meetings in Boston, MA required.

The full compensation range established for this position begins at a minimum of $120,000 annually.* Actual starting pay may differ based on non-discriminatory factors including, but not limited to, geographic location, experience, skills, specialty, and education.

The American Cancer Society has adopted a vaccination policy that requires all staff, regardless of position or work location, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (except where prohibited by state law).

ACS provides staff a generous paid time off policy; medical, dental, retirement benefits, wellness programs, and professional development programs to enhance staff skills. Further details on our benefits can be found on our careers site at: jobs.cancer.org/benefits. We are a proud equal opportunity employer.

Apply Now

Equal Opportunity Employer.

See our commitment to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity to continually ensure equal opportunity to our employees and to our applicants.

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW POSITION - MILLER LAB (MGH)

Research Area: Theranostics

Full/Part Time: Full Time

Investigators: Miller, Miles; Ng, Thomas

The Miller Lab in the Center for Systems Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School is looking for a curious and driven postdoctoral research fellow who wants to develop and understand synergistic and translational theranostic approaches for cancer treatment, especially for prostate malignancies, and particularly through the use of targeted external and systemically delivered radiotherapy. Our lab has particular interests in macromolecule drug delivery systems, including nano- and immunotherapy approaches - always with clinical translation potential and relevance in mind.

Ideal candidates should have a background and/or interest in theranostics/imaging, radiobiology, immunology or cancer biology, with expertise in cell culture, flow cytometry, and in vivo mouse models.

Postdoctoral fellows will design and execute laboratory research in support of the lab’s mission to develop novel theranostic approaches for therapy and response monitoring. Creative thinkers who are willing to take risks and define important unmet problems in cancer research within a collegial and collaborative environment are encouraged to apply. Candidates will be encouraged to apply for their own grants with the eventual goal of the fellow launching their independent research career.

A PhD, MD, or MD-PhD is required. Interested candidates are invited to submit application materials consisting of i) a cover letter indicating research background/interests/plan including a statement of impact, ii) a curriculum vitae, to miles.mlller [at] mgh.harvard.edu (miles[dot]mlller[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu) and scng [at] partners.org (scng[at]partners[dot]org)). References may be requested post-interview.   

SEVERAL PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS OPEN - GERBER LAB - HMS/BWH

Post-doctoral Fellow, Deep Learning for the Microbiome at Harvard Medical School
Post-doctoral positions available (with flexible start dates) to develop novel deep learning approaches to further understanding of the microbiome--the trillions of microbes living on and within us. This fascinating, complex and dynamic ecosystem is crucial for human health, and when disrupted may contribute to a variety of diseases including infections, arthritis, allergies, cancer, heart and bowel disorders. Over the past decade, sequencing and other high-throughput methods have provided data about the microbiome at unprecedented scale.

We are looking for talented and highly motivated post-docs with strong mathematical backgrounds (computer science, computational biology, statistics, mathematics, ecology, physics, etc.) who want to develop and apply novel deep learning methods that will further understanding of the microbiome.  Applications include forecasting microbial population dynamics in the gut for rational design of therapies, predicting the impact of the microbiome on the onset or progression of human diseases, predicting interactions with the host immune system, elucidating host-microbial metabolic interactions, and discovering functions of uncharacterized microbial metabolites and proteins. From the machine learning perspective, areas of interest include:

• Fully-differentiable interpretable probabilistic models based on relaxations and variational inference
• Deep Bayesian, dynamical systems and other structured models
• Neural topic models
• Deep learning models using sequence information

The position could be a good fit for either someone with a strong machine learning background who wants to get domain-specific research experience, OR someone with a strong mathematical background who wants to get more machine learning experience.

Applicants should have a high level of interest in:

• Applying new deep learning technologies to biomedical problems.
• Advancing knowledge of the microbiome and its role in human health and disease.
• Having your work make an impact on healthcare outcomes.
• Working on an interdisciplinary team and collaborating with computational, wet lab and clinical scientists.

The candidate is expected to engage with the broader machine learning and computational biology communities by presenting work at top conferences, as well as publishing applications of new methods in high impact journals. Although some experience modeling biological or other complex systems is required, microbiome specific knowledge is not required.

About the lab: the Gerber Lab (http://gerber.bwh.harvard.edu) develops novel statistical machine learning models and high-throughput experimental systems to understand the role of the microbiota in human diseases, and applies these findings to develop new diagnostic tests and therapies. A particular focus of the Gerber Lab is understanding dynamic behaviors of host-microbial ecosystems. Our work in this area includes Bayesian statistical machine learning methods for discovering temporal patterns in microbiome data, inferring dynamical systems models from microbiome time-series data, or predicting host status from microbiome time-series data with human interpretable rules. We have applied these methods to a number of clinically relevant questions including understanding dynamic effects of antibiotics, infections and dietary changes on the microbiome, and designing bacteriotherapies for C. difficile infection and food allergy. We also apply our methods to synthetic biology problems, to engineer consortia of bacteria for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Environment:  the Gerber Lab is located in the Division of Computational Pathology (http://comp-path.bwh.harvard.edu), which Dr. Gerber heads, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) at Harvard Medical School (HMS), and the Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center (http://metagenomics.partners.org), which Dr. Gerber co-directs. BWH, an HMS affiliated teaching hospital is adjacent to the HMS main quad and is the second largest non-university recipient of NIH research funding. The broad mandate of the BWH Division of Computational Pathology is to develop and apply advanced computational methods for furthering the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. The Division is situated within the BWH Department of Pathology, which houses over 40+ established investigators, 50+ postdoctoral research fellows, and 100+ research support staff. In addition, BWH is part of the greater Longwood Medical Area in Boston, a rich, stimulating environment conducive to intellectual development and research collaborations, which includes HMS, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston Children’s Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Qualifications:

• PhD in computer science, computational biology, ecology, mathematics, physics, statistics, or other quantitative discipline.
• Excellent publication track record.
• Strong mathematical background with track record developing novel models and methods.
• Solid programming skills in Python, with PyTorch experience desirable.
• Experience modeling biological or other complex systems required; microbiome experience desirable, but not required.
• Superior communication skills and ability to work on multidisciplinary teams.

Email single PDF including cover letter, CV, unofficial transcripts, brief research statement and list of at least three references to Dr. Georg Gerber (ggerber [at] bwh.harvard.edu (ggerber[at]bwh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)). In your CV, indicate whether you are a U.S. citizen/permanent resident or visa holder (and list visa type).

Research Scientist, Machine Learning for Microbiome at Harvard Medical School
The Microbiome AI/Deep Learning Lab in the Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center and Division of Computational Pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School is seeking a scientist with experience in machine learning. You will develop, deploy, and apply machine learning approaches, with a special emphasis on deep learning, to a variety of microbiology data sources. Applications will include forecasting microbial population dynamics in the gut, predicting impact of the microbiome on host phenotype, tracking infections in human populations, elucidating microbial metabolism, and discovering functions of uncharacterized microbial metabolites and proteins. An important component of the position will also include engagement with the broader research community to identify new application areas.

Applicants should have a high level of interest in:

• Applying new deep learning technologies to biomedical problems.
• Advancing knowledge of the microbiome and its role in human health and disease.
• Having your work make a direct impact on healthcare outcomes.
• Working on an interdisciplinary team and collaborating with computational, wet lab and clinical scientists.
• Engaging with the broader research community to advance applications of AI/deep learning for the microbiome.

Required qualifications:

• PhD in Computational Biology, Computer Science, Physics, Statistics, Quantitative Microbial Genetics, Quantitative Ecology, or related quantitative discipline, with demonstrated experience in machine learning.
• Strong publication track record.
• Programming experience in Python.
• Experience with Unix, shell scripting, and high-performance computing environments (e.g., SLURM/LSF).
• Experience with bioinformatics methods and pipelines for next generation sequencing data analysis.
• Experience with organizing and managing large multi-omics datasets.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.

Desired qualifications:

• Experience with PyTorch.
• Experience with microbiology/microbiome applications and metabolic modeling tools.

Email single PDF including cover letter, CV, and list of at least three references to Dr. Georg Gerber (ggerber [at] bwh.harvard.edu (ggerber[at]bwh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)). In your CV, indicate whether you are a U.S. citizen/permanent resident or visa holder (and list visa type).

About the environment: The Microbiome AI/Deep Learning Lab is a newly established initiative within the Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center (MHMC) and the Division of Computational Pathology (DCP) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH)/Harvard Medical School (HMS). With recent funding from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the Lab is building a state-of-the-art compute cluster with extensive GPU and CPU nodes, with the objective of making advanced deep learning technologies broadly available to microbiome researchers. The MHMC is a research and core facility that has worked with 100+ groups in the US and internationally to promote understanding of host-microbiome interactions in health and disease, emphasizing a focus on function to define causative effects of the microbiota and to harness this knowledge in developing new therapies, diagnostics and further commercial applications. The DCP is a research division with a broad mandate to develop and apply advanced computational methods for furthering the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. BWH is an HMS affiliated teaching hospital, adjacent to the HMS main quad, and the second largest non-university recipient of NIH research funding.

MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER - RECRUITING POSTDOCS - APPLY NOW

Postdoctoral training opportunities are available in Biological, Biomedical Sciences, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology.

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 cancer among other diseases. We write to actively invite your graduating or recently graduated PhD students as well as postdocs seeking more experience to apply to be a part of MSK. We’d greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word amongst your students.

At MSK, postdoctoral trainees are embedded in a scientifically invigorating environment in the heart of NYC, an exciting hub for biomedical research. Postdocs would join a vibrant community of nearly 500 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 in SKI and in Memorial Hospital and to peruse currently open positions, please visit our Postdoctoral Opportunities page HERE and the Career portal HERE, where candidates can also upload their CV to be contacted about future opportunities.

POST-DOCTORAL POSITION – CAROLINA CANCER NANOTECHNOLOGY T32 TRAINING PROGRAM

The Carolina Cancer Nanotechnology Training Program is an NIH funded 24-36-month mentored training program offered at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with focus area of research on cancer nanotechnology. Join an elite group of scientists and innovators using multidisciplinary concepts and skills to improve cancer diagnosis and therapy based on tools and discoveries made in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

All applicants must be either US citizens or permanent residents.

Strong emphasis on cancer biology and clinical medicine in addition to nanotechnology. Program focus areas include: drug delivery, polymers, chemo- and immunotherapy, RNA vaccines, computational chemistry, PK/PD, and translational research. Curriculum of seminars and workshops developed to broaden understanding of all areas of cancer nanotechnology. Physical and material scientists, pharmaceutical scientists, biomedical engineers, and clinician scientists all strongly encouraged to apply.

Apply Now!

Educational Requirements:
Trainee will have completed highly relevant doctoral training in medical, pharmacy, chemistry, biomedical sciences, or related area and was awarded PhD, MD, or MD/PhD.

Please refer to the program website for additional details. Any questions or inquiries can be directed to Amy Fry at amy_fry [at] unc.edu (amy_fry[at]unc[dot]edu).

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

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."

CAPD'S NEW FACULTY JOB SEARCH SERIES

Join us for CAPD’s New Faculty Job Search Series and prepare yourself to strategize, anticipate, and effectively execute a faculty job search. These workshops will help you understand the conventions and expectations for required documents (CVs, cover letters, diversity statements, teaching statements, and research statements); revise, polish, and perfect your application materials; develop interview skills; and be ready to negotiate salary, benefits, research provisions, and more. These workshops are open to MIT Graduate Students and Postdocs, and you may register for all the workshops or just the few that you need.

You’ll find the latest updates on upcoming workshops in your CAPD Newsletters or you can always check the CAPD Events page. Sign up for our newsletters and automated emails by updating your uConnect profile and preferences.

Have questions? Contact us.

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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