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

How Racism and Stereotypes in Healthcare Impact the Lives of Black Women

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

HST.590 LECTURE SCHEDULE

HST.590: Beyond HST - Spring 2023
Meets E25-117 Thursdays 4:30–6:30pm

Schedule of Lectures and Course Events:

• April 13, 2023
  Founders in the trenches
  Eric Huang, PhD: First Employee Glympse Bio, CSO Mercy Dx
  TBD
• April 20, 2023
  HST Founder Spotlight
  Omar Abudayyeh & Jonathan Gootenberg, PIs AbuGoot Lab MIT<
  Founders: sherlock, ProofDx, Tome Bio

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 have begun!

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.

Schedule Consultations with the Writing and Communication Center!

When: Mon-Fri, 9am - 6pm (except institute holidays)
Location: 18-233 (50 Ames Street, room 233) or by Zoom
Website: https://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-communication-center/
Contact: writing-center [at] mit.edu (writing-center[at]mit[dot]edu)

The Writing and Communication Center (WCC) is open for scheduling in-person and remote consultations. We offer free one-on-one help with your written and oral work including research papers, fellowship applications, dissertations, and presentations. We provide support at all stages of the writing and communication process: from brainstorming to the final draft. We can help you make progress through writer’s blocks including procrastination, perfectionism, demoralization, and imposter stress. To learn more about the WCC, check our website and make an appointment at https://mit.mywconline.com. See you at the WCC soon!

UPCOMING EVENTS FROM THE TEACHING + LEARNING LAB (TLL)

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

Flipping Failure Stories, Strategies, & Reflections
Flipping Failure, a campus-wide initiative to help students feel less alone by hearing stories about how their peers coped with academic challenges, is excited to announce the launch of a regular newsletter. Each issue will highlight a story of an academic challenge faced by someone in our community and a strategy they used to cope with it. We’ll also share a related activity for readers to try out, connections to current trends and research, and an artistic expression related to the theme of each edition. We hope that by sharing these stories and strategies, we can create a community of support and encouragement for those struggling in their academic journey, lessen feelings of shame, and increase students’ sense of belonging at MIT.

If you have experienced distress around academic issues or support those who have, sign-up for the newsletter on Flipping Failure's website. 
Please feel free to also share this widely with anyone you think might be interested.

TLL's Flipping Failure initiative seeks to "flip" the conversation around struggle from something to be ashamed of to something that is part of the human experience.

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.

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.

ICEO: SHARED SISTERHOOD WITH DR. TINA OPIE

• Tuesday, April 4, 2023
• 12-1:15pm
• Hybrid event, Wong Auditorium E51-115
• Register here

“From recruiting, onboarding, socialization, evaluation, training, pay, promotion, all the way around to workforce planning and retirement. Now that we've linked arms, we can look at these systems and work toward change together."
– Dr. Tina Opie

Learn with author, educator, and former MLK Scholar Dr. Tina Opie about an approach to achieving racial and gender equity that includes individual, interpersonal, and communal commitments, and empowers us all to be agents for change at MIT.

Professor Ed Bertschinger will serve as the conversation moderator.

We are committed to making this event fully accessible to all MIT community members. Please let us know if there is anything you need to participate fully in this event by e-mailing divya96 [at] mit.edu.

MIT BIOTECH GROUP - BIOTECH AND POLICY SEMINAR SERIES

Join us for an educational seminar with CEO-Partner of Flagship Pioneering to gain insight on the intersection of policy and scientific innovation.

• Tuesday, April 4, 2023
• 4:30-5:30pm
• 4-145
• Please RSVP here to attend

Dr. Chris Austin is CEO-Partner at Flagship Pioneering, which builds life sciences companies that transform health care. At Flagship, he founded and became CEO of Vesalius Therapeutics, where he pioneers the DIAMOND product platform to identify genetic circuits driving common illnesses. Prior to Flagship, he served as the founding Director of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the NIH, where he enabled treatment development for urgent yet bottlenecked public health needs. Chris completed his research fellowship in developmental neurogenetics at Harvard, received his MD from Harvard Medical School, and his AB in Biology from Princeton.

Flagship builds life sciences companies that invent breakthrough technologies and transform health care.

Please RSVP to network, explore career opportunities, and get a FREE DINNER from Saloniki.

And, please feel free to reach out to dilyara [at] mit.edu (dilyara[at]mit[dot]edu) with questions.

Subscribe here for more Biotech events and opportunities!

SERC SYMPOSIUM

Are you looking for a great way to show off your own cross cutting research on social and ethical responsibilities in computing to MIT faculty, Students, and industry professionals?  

The event will take place on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 8am-5:30pm (registration begins at 7:00 am; reception from 4:30 pm-5:30 pm) MIT Media Lab, 6th Floor. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Bringing together social scientists and humanists with engineers and computer scientists, the Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC) within the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, is hosting its inaugural symposium that will showcase the work of MIT faculty, postdocs, and students advancing education and research in this domain. Please see the speakers, and schedule here. 

Learn more and register at the SERC Symposium webpage.

RA CAPITAL COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE WORKSHOP

• Session 1: Wednesday April 5th, 2-4pm
• Session 2: Wednesday April 26th, 2-4pm
• Located onsite at RA HQ – 200 Berkeley St 18th floor, Boston, MA 02116
• RSVP here: https://mitbiotechgroup.typeform.com/to/jPUZ6a9A

About the workshops:

Erich Scheller, P.h.D., the Director of TechAtlas at RA Capital will be presenting on how to formulate a competitive landscape analysis, aimed to understand how a particular drug or modality may be positioned in a disease area. This workshop consists of two in-person sessions with a combination of lecture and assignment-based learning.

About RA and the TechAtlas team:

TechAtlas works closely with RA Capital’s Investment Team and portfolio companies to put data into context, identify breakthroughs, and originate conviction in new ideas. They analyze scientific and clinical data from academic literature and industry sources to anticipate how breakthroughs might impact industry stakeholders, physicians, patients, and policymakers. This work is partially captured in a large and growing collection of competitive landscapes, or ‘maps’, that identify competitive drugs, diagnostics, and/or technological capabilities in a given area.

Do you want to learn more about MIT Biotech Group (MBG)? 

The MBG is MIT’s largest biotech-oriented student-run organization, hosting a variety of events, such as company site visits, networking nights, technical nanocourses, and more, to connect students with career opportunities in biotech (start-ups, internships, job opportunities…). Visit biotech.mit.edu to learn more about the group, and feel free to contact biotech [at] mit.edu (biotech[at]mit[dot]edu) with any questions. 

Lauren Duhamel on behalf of MIT Biotech Group 

Write to our exec team: biotech [at] mit.edu (biotech[at]mit[dot]edu) 

Items or suggestions for email digests: mbg-digest [at] mit.edu (mbg-digest[at]mit[dot]edu) 

MBG social media: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram 

Click here to subscribe to the MBG mailing list 

Click here to subscribe to the MBG Calendar 

SOLUTIONS WITH/IN/SIGHT: ALGORITHMS AND VIEWS

SOLUTIONS with/in/sight: Algorithm and Views

• Thursday, May 4, 2023
• 6:30–8pm
• Luria Auditorium (76-156) • Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research • 500 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142

Two teams of KI investigators share their innovations using machine learning tools to improve lung cancer detection. Coupling machine learning algorithms with responsive nanoparticles, KI alum Ava Amini and Jesse Kirkpatrick of the Bhatia Lab develop noninvasive diagnostics to classify tumor types and inform patient interventions. They are joined by KI computer scientist Regina Barzilay and oncologist Lecia Sequist, who will discuss how they use algorithms to look deeper into radiology images to predict future cancer risk. Through these projects, the researchers present their vision for smarter decision-making and better care for patients. The program concludes with a dessert reception in the Koch Institute Public Galleries.

These projects were supported in part by the Koch Institute Frontier Research Program and the Bridge Project, respectively.

Register on Eventbrite to attend in person.
Register on Zoom to watch the livestream

NIH BRAIN INITIATIVE WORKSHOP

On behalf of The Brain Initiative's Behavior Quantification and Synchronization Program (BBQS), you are invited to participate in our upcoming  Workshop titled “Sensor Technologies to Improve our Understanding of Complex Behavior”. The goal of this workshop is to bring together engineers working in sensor development, computational scientists, neuroscientists and clinicians to discuss approaches for integrating multiple sensing technologies, for synchronous capture of high-resolution, multidimensional behavioral and neural activity data from humans and animals interacting in dynamic complex environments. The Workshop will be held May 2-3, 2023, on the NIH Campus in Bethesda, Maryland and virtually. 

Co-Chairs Drs. John Rogers, Northwestern University and Jungchih ‘J-C’ Chiao, Southern Methodist University will join BRAIN Initiative leaders and the BBQS team to lead five sessions consisting of short talks and panel discussions, culminating with a final panel discussion aimed at synthesizing the information and ideas generated across the two days to discuss implications and next steps for advancing models of neurobehavioral function in complex environments.

Below is an overview of the workshop topics:

Day I: 

• Introduction to Sensors
• Multi-sensor Integration for Tracking Movement; Considerations for Comparative and Developmental Aspects
• Sensing Environments, Signal Processing and Artificial Intelligence 

Day 2: 

• Sensing Environments, Signal Processing and Artificial Intelligence, continued 
• Considerations for Data Standardization, Archiving and Data Visualization
• Featured Experiments and Development of Computational Models

All interested faculty and students in engineering, computer science and data science are invited to attend.  We are inviting all within about a 3-4 hour driving distance of the NIH Campus, and interested women and minorities are especially encouraged to participate.   The workshop is free (however we do not have funds for travel) and is both in-person and virtual.  Box lunches will need to be ordered for in-person attendance.  

Online registration will be coming soon.

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

• Registration – Regular Deadline – August 14, 2023

Want to Present in Spanish? Submit Spanish Language Proposal

EAST COAST DATATHON

Hosted by Citadel LLC and Citadel Securities in partnership with Correlation One

We will be running our annual event in-person East Coast Datathon: 

• 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!

Admission is 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

CU ANSCHUTZ 2ND ANNUAL SUMMER SEMINAR SERIES

We are delighted to announce our 2nd Annual Summer Seminar Series hosted by the Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (BMG) Department at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. 

The BMG Diversity, Equity & Anti-Racism committee is seeking individuals of racial and ethnic underrepresented backgrounds who are within approximately two years of completing their PhDs and are passionate about pursuing postdoctoral research in academia to share their thesis work with our community and meet potential postdoc mentors.

Selected candidates will present their research to the department in a 30 minute seminar, engage in one-on-one meetings with faculty members, connect with current postdocs in the department, dine with department members, and explore both the campus and Denver. Travel and lodging will be fully covered. 

If you are interested, please use this google form to review the eligibility requirements and submit your CV and talk abstract by April 17^th. Applicants will be notified by May 1^st. Please contact sarah.vinton [at] cuanschutz.edu (sarah[dot]vinton[at]cuanschutz[dot]edu) if you have any questions or technical difficulties.

SUMMER TEACHING FELLOW OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPERIENTIAL ETHICS

Apply to be a Summer Teaching Fellow for Experiential Ethics

We’re excited to announce that we are hiring graduate students from across all disciplines to serve as Graduate Teaching Fellows for Experiential Ethics, a discussion-based summer course that introduces MIT undergraduate students to the ethics of science and technology. The course provides students with the tools and concepts they need to explore the ethical, social, and political dimensions of their summer experiences and can be taken alongside popular experiential learning programs (e.g., UROP, MISTI, PKG), summer internships, research, study, and more. The course is primarily virtual, though this year there is the potential for an in-person section in Cambridge.

Teaching Fellows (TFs) facilitate one or more small discussion groups (approximately 5 students/group) for one hour each week for 10 weeks and help guide students in developing their final projects, which apply ethical concepts to real-world issues that interest them. TFs also participate in a weekly one-hour meeting with the teaching team. The class is entirely discussion-based, so there are no traditional lectures. TFs gain significant teaching experience and are compensated $2110 for leading one section (~5 hr/week time commitment) or $3693 for leading two sections (~8 hr/week time commitment). Appointments are hired as Summer RA positions and require department approval.

All continuing graduate students are welcome to apply, but those whose research focuses on ethics, social implications of technology, or related moral and societal issues are especially welcome. Note: You must be enrolled as a graduate student throughout the teaching period.

More information on TF responsibilities can be found on the Teaching Fellows Application. For further questions, you can email experientialethics [at] gmail.com (experientialethics[at]gmail[dot]com). The application deadline is April 23, 2023 at 11:59pm ET. We hope you’ll consider applying!

PFIZER SUMMER INTERN OPPORTUNITY

Computational biology, diving into human spatial transcriptomics

Job description:
Spatial transcriptomics provides rich information for cell-to-cell communication in immunology, oncology, and autoimmune disease.  Recently multiple algorithms have been developed i.e., graph neural network in deep learning (DL) to process spatial transcriptomics and to study disease microenvironment. In Pfizer Inflammation & Immunology (I&I) department, we would like to leverage public spatial transcriptomics data with state-of-art algorithms to build “spatial tissue map” as an autoimmune disease model for target discovery.  The intern will 1) benchmark methods to dissect cell–cell communication (CCC) in spatial transcriptomics; 2) implement the CCC pipeline as our asset; 3) apply CCC pipeline to our internalized spatial transcriptomics datasets to study spatial biology of skin in multiple indications; 4) integrate spatial transcriptomics datasets with in-house single-cell atlas and build disease model and skin spatial transcriptomics atlas.

 Preferred qualifications: 

• Master or PhD student in Computational Biology, Statistics/ Biostatistics, Computer Science, Physics, or Applied Mathematics.
• Experience in analyzing genomics data (e.g., spatial transcriptomics, single-cell RNA-seq). 
• Solid training in machine learning/ deep learning and statistical inference. 
• Proficient in programing or statistical computing languages (e.g., Python and R). 
• Knowledge of immunology is a plus. 

If interested, please attach your curriculum vitae and email to kai-chih.huang [at] pfizer.com (kai-chih[dot]huang[at]pfizer[dot]com)

MEDICAL STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE HOLLENHURST LAB (BWH HEMATOLOGY)

The Hollenhorst laboratory launched Jan 2023. We study glycoproteins that play critical roles in hemostasis and thrombosis (bleeding and clotting). Platelets and coagulation factors are heavily coated in glycans (carbohydrate polymers) which are essential for healthy function of the hemostatic system. We are interested in understanding how these glycans regulate the structure and function of hemostatic glycoproteins, and modulate the anti-platelet immune response. We welcome students who want to perform cutting-edge research using the tools of chemical biology to dissect platelet and coagulation factor glycobiology. Our ultimate goal is to improve the lives of patients with bleeding and thrombotic disorders.

Dr. Hollenhorst values teaching and mentoring, and is deeply commited to fostering the career goals of members of her lab. 

This position is open to Harvard Medical School MD and MD/PhD students from either HST or Pathways. Consideration may be given to medical students from other medical schools on a case-by-case basis. The duration of the opportunity would be expected to range from 3 months to several years depending on the student's career goals. 

For more information about Dr. Hollenhorst, including an email address, please see the following link: 

https://connects.catalyst.harvard.edu/Profiles/display/Person/30963

If you are interested in this opportunity, please email a CV to Dr. Hollenhorst.

MIT SOLVE 2023 GLOBAL CHALLENGES

The MIT Solve 2023 Global Challenges have launched!

MIT Solve invites anyone from anywhere in the world to submit a solution to this year’s Challenges by 12 pm ET, May 9, 2023. The 40 selected innovators–including eight new Indigenous Communities Fellows–will form the 2023 Solver Class, and pitch their solutions during Solve Challenge Finals on September 17-18, 2023 in New York City. These selected teams will share over $1 million in available funding, take part in a nine-month support program, and join the Solve community made of cross-sector social impact leaders, to scale their solutions.

Solve’s 2023 Global Challenges are: 

Financial Inclusion 

Health in Fragile Contexts

Learning for Civic Action 

Climate Adaptation & Low-Carbon Housing

For its second year, Solve will also select a cohort of entrepreneurs among the 2023 Solver Class to join the Black & Brown Innovators in the US Program. The program offers culturally-responsive support and partnership opportunities, and selected teams will participate in Solve’s annual US Equity Summit. 

In addition to the Global Challenges, Solve is also opening applications for the sixth 2023 Indigenous Communities Fellowship. The Fellowship, which looks for Indigenous innovators in the US and its territories, has now expanded eligibility to Canada.

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)

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!

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 held on Fridays
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

• Thursday, April 6

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

• 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.

EXPONENT LIFE SCIENCES INFO SESSION

• Tuesday, April 18, 2023

• 4-6pm
• MIT E25-119/121 (45 Carleton St., Cambridge, MA)
• Light refreshments will be served

Register to join us in person.

Exponent is a multi-disciplinary engineering and scientific consulting firm that brings together more than 90 different disciplines and over 50 years of experience to solve engineering, science, regulatory, and business issues facing our clients.

If you are an engineering or science PhD candidate with strong communication skills, are motivated to learn on the job, and have a desire to apply your education in unexpected and innovative ways, Exponent will be an exciting opportunity for you! At Exponent, we work on many of the most challenging and prominent engineering and scientific problems in the world. 

Exponent invites you to learn more about how you can make a difference through engineering and scientific consulting in the life sciences as part of our Biomechanics, Biomedical Engineering & Sciences, Data Sciences, or Health Sciences practices.

Contact halforque [at] exponent.com (Hannah Kaile Alforque )for more information.

WATERSHED INFORMATICS - BIOINFORMATICIAN POSITION

Data Science - Bioinformatics / Full Time - Cambridge, MA

Watershed Informatics enables the world’s scientists to turn today’s big data into tomorrow’s precision medicines. Specifically optimized for catalyzing the life sciences development pipeline, the Watershed® Cloud Data Lab (CDL) provides all the tools and technologies a biologist needs to harness the value of complexity in their own data, and lets bioinformaticians rapidly prototype and deploy custom and established analytic workflows across an organization. Combining our team of stellar software engineers’ and bioinformaticians trained at MIT, Harvard, Carnegie-Mellon, UCSD, and diverse industry experience, we have built a platform that our customers, such as Cellino and SalioGen, rave about. After raising a $14.5M Series A led by Canvas Ventures with Bessemer Venture Partners and Accomplice participating, we are rapidly scaling our team, including our world-class bioinformatics group.

As part of the bioinformatics team, you’ll help define the core scientific features and functionalities of our platform for years to come, and play a crucial role in ensuring the continued success of our product. This role is a great opportunity for candidates looking to go both wide and deep in their bioinformatics expertise, build upon their technical skills, and work with a group of rigorous, passionate, caring, and down-to-earth scientists and engineers. You’ll build bespoke bioinformatics solutions to address the unique problems our customers are facing and ensure their technical success. You’ll engage directly with users (both biologists and bioinformaticians) to test, troubleshoot, and enhance deployed workflows. You’ll use their feedback to enable our team to iteratively improve our product. Internally you will lead the development and prototyping of our bioinformatics workflows for technologies such as: short and long read NGS, mass-spectrometry (proteomics, metabolomics), high-content imaging, and protein folding. For a given pipeline, you’ll research available analysis methods, compare and contrast existing bioinformatics tooling options, identify areas for improvement, and implement a prototype workflow. You’ll work with our
full-stack engineering team to productionize this prototype into a mature product offering. Come make foundational contributions at a fast-paced and rapidly growing tech-bio startup with a culture of empathy, efficiency, responsibility, and candor.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and execute the development of new bioinformatics workflows
• Collaborate with our engineering team to make our bioinformatics workflows efficient and robust
• Engage directly with customers (both biologists and bioinformaticians) on their deployment of the Watershed platform, ensure the technical success of client engagements, and communicate customer feedback and feature requests to the broader team
• Test, troubleshoot, and enhance customer workflows with and on behalf of customers, and lead design and development reviews of these workflows
• Propose and implement more sophisticated, bespoke bioinformatics analyses upon customer request

You would value working at Watershed if you are:

• Thorough, but Practical: You pride yourself in robust analysis. Speed to insight is favored over perfection, but soundness of results is paramount. Quality control at every step is required. You're skeptical of data and model assumptions, and think that verifying results starts with inspecting the raw data. You believe added complexity can be hard to implement and even harder to validate.
• A humble teammate: You’re excited to work in a cross-disciplinary team with a variety of skill sets you can constantly learn from. You understand that mistakes are inevitable, and that being open and forthcoming is the best way to rectify them and improve in the future. You know your areas for growth and can seek help from the team when needed.
• Independent: You excel at scoping and executing multiple projects while being aware of competing priorities. You communicate successes and blockers to all stakeholders to ensure on time completion of goals.
• Impact-driven: You think that the purpose of bioinformatics is to act as a lens through which to better understand biology versus an end in itself. You value translational research as a way to bring meaningful improvements to the world.
• Technically rigorous: You appreciate that your work lays the foundation for bioinformatics analyses on the Watershed platform for years to come, and take the time to build modular, robust, and sustainable workflow components. You want to know the intricacies of each step and how they provide the insights our customers need.

Qualifications:

• PhD-level expertise in developing end-to-end bioinformatics pipelines (5+ years of experience in bioinformatics)
• Strong biology background and empathy for bench experimentalists
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Knowledge of bioinformatics and data science best practices (quality-control, exploratory data analysis, existing industry standard open-source tools, data structures)
• Experience in Python, R, and/or MATLAB
• In-person work with flexible work-from-home days (currently Monday/Tuesday in-office)

Benefits and culture:

• Competitive salary and equity compensation package
• Employer contribution to healthcare insurance (medical, dental, vision) for you and your dependents
• Flexible PTO: we believe it’s important to take time off to rest and recharge
• Regular company outings
• Uber eats stipend when working
• Tremendous growth opportunity and autonomy in a rewarding, supportive environment
• Top-down focus on employee wellness and work-life balance
• Open door policy with a focus on collaboration

Watershed is an equal-opportunity employer and believes diversity of all types is integral to company success. We do not discriminate on the basis of religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, national origin, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

POSTDOC POSITION IN THE HOLLENHORST LAB (BWH HEMATOLOGY)

Postdoc Position Available in the Hollenhorst Laboratory 

Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA, USA 

The Laboratory
The Hollenhorst laboratory studies glycoproteins that play critical roles in hemostasis and thrombosis. Platelets and coagulation factors are heavily coated in glycans (carbohydrate polymers) which are essential for healthy function of the hemostatic system. We are interested in understanding how these glycans regulate the structure and function of hemostatic glycoproteins, and modulate the anti-platelet immune response. We are recruiting a postdoctoral fellow to perform cutting-edge research using the tools of chemical biology to dissect platelet and coagulation factor glycobiology. Our ultimate goal is to improve the lives of patients with bleeding and thrombotic disorders.  

The Institute
The Hollenhorst laboratory is located in the Harvard Institutes of Medicine building, 4 Blackfan Circle, in the center of the Longwood Medical Area. We are a member of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Division of Hematology and Harvard Medical School. We have ties to the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT and the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. These institutions house scientific and clinical experts in a wide variety of areas, enabling interactions with a myriad of collaborators and communities. We have access to state-of-the-art facilities for biochemistry, chemical biology, proteomics, genomics, flow cytometry, etc. These rich resources allow laboratory members to thrive and explore novel scientific questions in a supportive and well-equipped environment.

The Candidate
Applicants must have completed or be within 1 year of completion of an MD, PhD, or MD/PhD and have a strong background in biochemistry, chemical biology, cell biology, hemostasis/thrombosis, or a related field. We are looking for enthusiastic, self-directed learners with a strong work ethic and the ability to work in a collaborative manner. Applicants who have published at least one peer reviewed first-author research article are preferred. Candidates should send the following application materials to Ms. Letice Arthur (larthur5 [at] bwh.harvard.edu (larthur5[at]bwh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)): cover letter, curriculum vitae, list of 3 references. 

EEO Statement
Brigham and Women's Hospital is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or on the basis of disability.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT POSITION IN THE HOLLENHORST LAB (BWH HEMATOLOGY)

Research Assistant Position Available in the Hollenhorst Laboratory 

Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA, USA 

Job Description
The Hollenhorst Lab applies innovative biochemical strategies to study clinically relevant questions regarding the proteins that regulate bleeding and clotting. The goal is to further our understanding of the basic biology of hemostasis and thrombosis with an eye towards questions directly relevant to the care of patients. We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to perform experiments under the supervision of the principal investigator or senior lab member. The selected candidate will perform western blots, immunoprecipitation, protein purification, and prepare samples for mass spectrometry analysis. The individual will work with a high degree of independence, organize notebooks and manage data, and perform other laboratory experiments relevant for understanding platelets and coagulation factors. Ideal candidates will have training in wet lab techniques, strong organizational skills, and be motivated to further their career by learning and adopting new skills. While applicants from diverse backgrounds and career stages are welcome, this position is a particularly good fit for individuals who seek a 1-2 year research experience prior to applying to MD and/or PhD programs. The principal investigator will provide direct mentorship, clinical shadowing opportunities, and longterm career advice. 

Research Environment
The Hollenhorst laboratory is located in the Harvard Institutes of Medicine building, 4 Blackfan Circle, in the center of the Longwood Medical Area. Our primary affiliations are the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Division of Hematology and Harvard Medical School. The laboratory works closely with the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT and is a member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. These institutions house scientific and clinical experts in a wide variety of areas, enabling interactions with a myriad of collaborators and communities. We have access to state-of-the-art core facilities for glycomics, proteomics, flow cytometry, etc. These rich resources allow laboratory members to thrive in a supportive and well-equipped environment.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities 

• Perform routine and non-routine experiments, which are moderate to complex, with increasing independence. These include western blot, immunoprecipitation, protein purification by liquid chromatography, flow cytometry, and preparation of samples for mass spectrometry analysis. (Prior training in these techniques is helpful but is NOT required.)
• Process platelets and plasma samples from donors and patients.  
• Maintain long-term tissue cultures of human cell lines, monitor cells for viability and contamination.
• Maintain a detailed electronic laboratory notebook to reproduce experiments precisely.
• Consult with the principal investigator and implement adjustments in experimental design. 
• Prepare laboratory reagents and chemicals, organize storage. Meticulously maintain and update databases of laboratory supplies and storage. Order new supplies on time to maintain inventory. 
• Oversee the lab’s Institutional Laboratory Safety and Biohazard protocols, amend as needed, and assure that all lab members are familiar with and adhere to the protocols.
• Perform routine maintenance and calibration of laboratory equipment, if necessary.
• Become proficient in Excel, FlowJo, and GraphPad Prism as needed analyze and critically evaluate data. 
• Present data and relevant research publications in lab meetings. Help to prepare presentations and written articles for publication.
• All other duties, as assigned. 

Supervisory Responsibilities

• None 

Working Conditions 

• Laboratory environment with frequent work with toxic chemicals, biohazards, bloodborne pathogens, and substances emitting unpleasant odors.
• Work requires frequent standing, walking and frequent lifting or carrying supplies. 

Qualifications 
Required:  

• Bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, or a related scientific field.
• Previous experience (6 months+) with techniques in experimental biology, chemistry and/or biochemistry. 

Preferred: 

• Previous work experience in an academic basic science laboratory. 

Skills/abilities/competencies required: 

• A positive attitude and eagerness to learn.
• Comfortable with working independently and in a team. Good oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to learn and perform a variety of laboratory protocols, to identify potential problems and troubleshoot solutions.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to logically present data.
• Sound judgment regarding time-management and laboratory safety.

EEO Statement
Brigham and Women's Hospital is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or on the basis of disability. 

Candidates should send the following application materials to Ms. Letice Arthur (larthur5 [at] bwh.harvard.edu (larthur5[at]bwh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)): cover letter, curriculum vitae or resume, college transcript, list of 3 references.

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.

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."

NEXTPROF NEXUS 2023: APPLICATIONS OPEN

On August 28-31, 2023, Georgia Tech, the University of Michigan, and University of California, Berkeley will co-host the 2023 NextProf Nexus future faculty workshop on Georgia Tech’s campus.

This program aims to diversify the engineering professoriate by bringing together 60+ senior-level Ph.D. students, postdocs, and early career scientists and researchers from across the country for an intensive 3-day workshop about becoming a faculty member.

The 2023 NextProf Nexus future faculty workshop is designed to encourage people in traditionally underrepresented U.S. demographic groups to seek academic careers. It is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents of any ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ability, veteran status, socio-economic status, first generation to college status, nation of origin, and/or religion.

Apply or Nominate a Student  •  Applications due May 1, 2023

MCKINSEY AND COMPANY RECRUITING

The Advanced Professional Degree (APD) recruiting team is excited to share our March APD recruiting newsletter with you. Below you’ll find more information about our upcoming virtual recruiting events, including details for our flagship programs - Insight & Diversity Connect! Scroll down for more information.

Virtual Events
Join us for our upcoming virtual events! Stay up to date with our full list of events by clicking here.

You can view a full list of upcoming affinity-specific events here.

MIT SLOAN HEALTH SYSTEMS INITIATIVE (HSI) LUNCH SERIES WITH DELFI KRISHNA

Please join us for the next HSI seminar MIT Sloan Health Systems Initiative (HSI) Lunch Seminar Series with Defi Krishna

Title: When does investing in cell and gene therapy make good business sense?

• Thursday, April 13, 2023
• 11:30am-1pm
• E62-450
• Sign up at Sloan Groups

Lunch will be provided in person

Join Zoom Meeting

Password: 100

One tap mobile

+16465588656,,93963234492

Meeting ID: 939 6323 4492

Cell and gene therapies represent an exciting and complex new treatment type, with the potential to treat a vast range of indications, in some cases offering the possibility of a disease cure with a single treatment. This presentation will discuss the multi-disciplinary business environment required to bring these cutting-edge medicines to patients.  

Delfi Krishna is currently the Vice President of Cell Therapy Portfolio Development at Immatics – a German biotech company with the mission to bring the power of T-cells to cancer patients. She has a PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Georgia Tech and is currently an Executive MBA student at MIT Sloan. 

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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