this WEEK in HST

ALEX SHALEK APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF IMES (HOME OF HST AT MIT)

From MIT School of Engineering Dean Anantha P. Chandrakasan on 7.25.24:

Dear members of the IMES community,

It is with great pleasure that I announce to you today the appointment of Alex K. Shalek as the new Director of the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), effective August 1, 2024.

Alex succeeds Elazer Edelman who has led IMES since April 2018.  

Alex is the J. W. Kieckhefer Professor in IMES and the Department of Chemistry, as well as an Extramural Member of MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. He is a core member of IMES and holds several leadership positions, including Director of the Health Innovation Hub. In addition to his roles at MIT, Alex is also: an Institute Member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; a Member of the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard; an Assistant in Immunology at Mass General Brigham; and, an Instructor in Health Sciences & Technology at Harvard Medical School (HMS).

The Shalek Lab’s research focuses on developing and applying new technologies to understand and engineer human immune responses in tissues. Alex and his team use a cross-disciplinary approach that combines genomics, chemical biology, and nanotechnology to develop platforms to profile and control cells and their interactions. Working with partners around the world, they apply these technologies to dissect human diseases toward understand links between cellular responses and clinical observations to guide preventions and cures.

Alex received a bachelor's degree in chemical physics from Columbia University and his master’s and PhD in chemical physics from Harvard University. He was a postdoctoral scholar at the Broad Institute before joining MIT’s faculty in 2014.  

Throughout his career, Alex has received numerous prestigious awards and honors. These include a NIH New Innovator Award, a Beckman Young Investigator Award, a Searle Scholar Award, a Pew-Stewart Scholar Award, an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship in Chemistry, and an Avant-Garde (DP1 Pioneer) Award. Alex has also been celebrated for his dedication as a faculty member, educator, and mentor. He was awarded the 2019-2020 Harold E. Edgerton Faculty Achievement Award at MIT and the 2020 HMS Young Mentor Award. 

Alex’s substantial contributions to the scientific community as a researcher and educator have been exemplary. His extensive network across MIT, Harvard, and MGB will be a tremendous asset as Director of IMES. He will undoubtedly be an excellent leader, bringing his innovative approach and collaborative spirit to this new role.  

I am grateful to Elazer Edelman for his incredible leadership and service to the department over the past six years. I’d also like to thank the search advisory committee for their efforts, particularly Jim Collins and Emery Brown, who served as co-chairs, as well as search committee members Daniel Anderson, Sangeeta Bhatia, Lee Gehrke, Marzyeh Ghassemi, Julie Greenberg, Lisa Lehane, Phillip Sharp, and Christopher Voigt.

Please join me in welcoming Alex to his new role as the leader of IMES.  

Sincerely, 

Anantha P. Chandrakasan
MIT Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer
Dean, MIT School of Engineering
Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

CONGRATULATIONS TO MARZYEH GHASSEMI AND LONNIE PETERSEN ON THEIR FACULTY CHAIRS

A message sent to the community from Elazer Edelman:

We’re proud to announce that two IMES core faculty members: Marzyeh Ghassemi and Lonnie G. Petersen, have received MIT faculty chairs – Marzyeh the Germeshausen Career Development Professorship and Lonnie Samuel A. Goldblith Career Development Professor of Applied Biology

Marzyeh, PhD ’17, joined MIT in July, 2021, from the University of Toronto, where she was an assistant professor in computer science and medicine, and a Vector Institute faculty member holding a Canadian CIFAR AI Chair and Canada Research Chair. During her time as an MIT PhD student and as a postdoc studying computer science, Marzyeh was mentored by Peter Szolovits, an EECS professor and a core faculty member at IMES, who served as her PhD and postdoctoral research advisor. She also has an MS in Biomedical Engineering, Oxford University. Marzyeh focuses on the fields of machine learning (ML) and medical/clinical informatics, where her research in "Healthy" Machine Learning in the Healthy ML Group creates a rigorous quantitative framework in which to place ML models in a way that is robust and fair in health settings. Her contributions range from socially-aware model construction, to improving subgroup- and shift-robust learning methods, to identifying important insights in model deployment scenarios that have implications in policy, health practice and equity.

Lonnie, who joined MIT in September, 2022, has a PhD in Gravitational Physiology/Space Medicine, and an MD from the University of Cophenhagen. Previously, she served as an assistant professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of California at San Diego. She is an integrative physiologist, and her research is rooted in cardiovascular and exercise physiology, and focuses on pressure, perfusion, and metabolic regulation of the brain. Lonnie’s research follows along two parallel tracks: 1) a spin-up track which is focused on space and aviation physiology including investigating effects of spaceflight on the human body and developing countermeasures to maintain human health during long-term spaceflight, and extraterrestial exploration, and 2) a spin-down track which is focused on medical device and technology development, and applying knowledge gained in space for patients on Earth. Lonnie conducts her research at the Aerospace Physiology Laboratory, and she is also the MIT Lead Scientist at the Translational Research Institute for Space Health, or TRISH.

Please join me in congratulating Marzyeh and Lonnie on their well-deserved chairs!

NEW MIT REPORTING PROCESS FOR RESEARCH - REMOTE WORK - CONFERENCES IN INDIA

Effective this month, any employee (includes RA/TA/IG) who will be working for MIT in India – including remote work, conferences, and research – will need to notify VPF at least 30 days in advance of travel by completing this pre-travel form.

More details about this new reporting process can be found at this website.

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.

2025 CATALYST PROGRAM IN BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

Identify and develop research projects with high potential for healthcare impact.

The Catalyst Program fosters the development of enabling technologies to address unmet medical needs. Catalyst is appropriate for those with interest and willingness to spend time in research, innovation, and health.

Apply now to join the Catalyst Program in biomedical technology innovation at MIT linQ

Bring your talents to identify and develop research projects with high potential for healthcare impact.

The Catalyst Program at MIT linQ brings together diverse teams to develop novel technological solutions for unmet medical needs.

Our participants are selected to bring multiple perspectives, diverse experiences, and wide-ranging areas of expertise.

We require only that candidates be interested in advancing medicine. Prior experience in health-related research is not required.

Applications are due August 5, 2024.

Learn more and get started

TLL’S KAUFMAN TEACHING CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

Calling all MIT Grad Students!

Applications for the Fall 2024 session of the Teaching + Learning Lab’s Kaufman Teaching Certificate Program open Thursday, August 1st at 12 noon.Anyone interested in improving their teaching practice is encouraged to apply!

This engaging and interactive workshop series is intended for graduate students and postdocs interested in careers in the academy or looking to develop skills to support their teaching at MIT. Upon completion of all workshops, associated homework assignments, and two microteaching sessions, participants will receive a certificate and letter of completion from the Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate and Graduate Education.

The application includes the following two short answer questions (with a 1500-character limit):

• Describe your teaching responsibilities in the next two semesters. (If applicable)
• In addition to learning about teaching practices in general, what are two specific goals that motivate you to apply for this program?

You may wish to draft answers before beginning your application.

Applications will close at 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, August 18. All sections will be in person. To apply, visit our event page. 

Please check our website for frequently asked questions. If you have a problem with the application, please contact Dan Nocivelli at book [at] mit.edu (book[at]mit[dot]edu).

MIT BOOTCAMPS ON INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

MIT Bootcamps are immersive educational experiences focused on innovation and entrepreneurship. They are collaborating with the NIH/NIDA to put on a program focused on substance use disorder (SUD), called SUD Ventures.

There is an opportunity for students, and others, to be participants of the program. Additionally, there are a number of webinars coming up regarding this topic.

If you’d like to learn more, please contact MIT Bootcamps director Hanna Adeyema at hadeyema [at] mit.edu (hadeyema[at]mit[dot]edu) to discuss potential collaborations.

MIT SHORT COURSE SUMMER OFFERING: MACHINE LEARNING FOR MATERIALS INFORMATICS

Below is information about a short course that Marcus J. Buehler will be offering at MIT this summer in Live Virtual format: Machine Learning for Materials Informatics (Jul 29 - Aug 2, 2024).  The course is suitable for researchers, postdocs or faculty and other professionals who want to get exposed to the emerging field of materials informatics and machine learning. The class is open students, postdocs, or others. MIT staff/faculty/postdocs can take the course without charge using TAP. 

The course will cover fundamentals and applications in the emerging space of AI/ML for engineering, featuring hands-on interactive code development in Jupyter Notebooks. A deep dive is planned into all critical tools from computer vision to autoencoders to graph neural nets, protein and biomaterial generative models, to multimodal LLMs and multi-agent modeling.  

Please reach out if you have any questions.

Machine Learning for Materials Informatics

Instructor: Prof. Markus J Buehler, McAfee Professor of Engineering

mbuehler [at] MIT.EDU (mbuehler[at]MIT[dot]EDU)

Jul 29 - Aug 2, 2024 (3.5 days)

Learn more here: https://professional.mit.edu/course-catalog/machine-learning-materials-informatics

FALL 2024 RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IN BIOPHARMA  7.930/20.930/CSB.930

Have you wondered how research works in the biotech & pharma industry? Try it out as a class, without taking time completely away from your thesis! Even if working in industry after graduation doesn’t interest you, the insights from this experience will provide valuable professional development for any career path.

Class is 10 hours a week on a mentored project + weekly hour of guest lectures on industry-relevant and professional development topics (Wednesdays 11a-12p)

• No industry experience necessary or expected
• Open to post-quals PhD students in all relevant programs--BE, Bio, BCS, Chem, ChemE, HST, CSB, DMSE, EECS, Micro, MechE, etc. 
• Projects may include wet lab or computational work.

If you are interested, contact reb_instructors [at] mit.edu (reb_instructors[at]mit[dot]edu) as soon as possible. 

International students must be in a program with a requirement that allows you to use CPT.

MIT COMMUNITY WELLNESS CLASSES AND RESOURCES

MIT Health Community Wellness serves all members of the MIT community, regardless of insurance coverage.

Our programs and resources give you the health and wellness tools you need to thrive at MIT.

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

View all Community Wellness classes here.

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.

WCC Individual Consultations
During these consultations, you can work on your written or oral projects with WCC instructors who can guide you at all stages of your communication process.

WCC has prepared a series of workshops on style, literature review writing, and other topics. You can register for our offerings through this link.

For more information or to register for these programs, check the WCC website.

UPCOMING EVENTS FROM THE TEACHING + LEARNING LAB (TLL)

Our Mission
The Teaching + Learning Lab (TLL) partners with MIT educators, staff, and administrators to create a reflective educational environment where students are academically challenged, actively engaged, and personally supported.

Find information on upcoming TLL programs, speakers, workshops, etc. here.

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.

2024 BMI+ SUMMIT

You're invited to the 2024 BMI+ Summit in Morgantown, WV on August 10-11. This inaugural event gathers international leaders, innovators, and stakeholders in the brain machine interface (BMI) community to address a critical need in the brain machine interface (BMI) community – namely, what have we learned over the past 20 years with this technology and where does the regulatory and business models need to focus to establish better access for patients in need of this technology.

Join us for 1.5 days of discussions on established and cutting-edge clinical data and interactive panels aimed at enhancing patient access and refining regulatory and business models.

Key objectives include:

• Identifying research gaps and opportunities.
• Generating innovative ideas and hypotheses.
• Catalyzing collaborations across academia, industry, and federal agencies.

The summit will conclude with a publication outlining a BMI+ roadmap for the next decade.

Secure your spot today at www.bmisummit.org and help shape the future of BMI technology.

ML4H 2024 CALL FOR PARTICIPATION - MACHINE LEARNING FOR HEALTH SYMPOSIUM

ML4H 2024 invites submissions describing innovative research that lies in the broad purview of Machine Learning for Health. Authors are invited to submit work on relevant problems in a variety of health-related disciplines including healthcare, biomedicine, and public health. For full details, refer to the online Call for Participation: https://ahli.cc/ml4h/call-for-papers

This year, ML4H 2024 will accept submissions for two distinct tracks: the Proceedings track for formal archival publications, and the non-archival Findings track. Submissions are due on September 6th, 11:59 PM AoE in the form of anonymized PDF files. All submissions for ML4H 2024 will be managed through the OpenReview system. Similar to last year, we have a full author response period and reviewer discussion period to ensure proper feedback on the work. 

Similar to last year, we have a full author response period and reviewer discussion period to ensure proper feedback on the work. ML4H 2024 will feature three areas:

• Models and Methods: Algorithms, Inference, and Estimation
• Applications and Practice: Investigation, Evaluation, Interpretation, and Deployment
• Impact and Society: Policy, Public Health, Social Outcomes, and Economics.

While we especially encourage submissions relevant to this year’s areas, any submission that falls under the purview of machine learning for health is welcome.

In response to the growing ML4H community, ML4H has transitioned into a standalone symposium rather than a NeurIPS-affiliated workshop. This event represents a continuation of prior ML4H workshops/symposiums (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) and will continue to be held in December, co-located with NeurIPS. ML4H 2024 will feature: 

•  Author Mentorship Program
• Career Mentorship Program
• Reviewer Mentorship Program and Top Reviewer Awards
• Paper awards for Best Proceedings paper and Best Findings paper
• Best Newcomer Paper award
• Real-world ML4H demonstrations

Important Dates
Aug 1st: Submission site opens
Sep 6th: Paper submission deadline
Oct 11th: Reviews available; Author response period starts
Oct 18th: Author response period ends
Nov 1st: Decisions released
Nov 8th: Early Career Travel Grant Application
Nov 15th [tentative]: Camera-ready deadline
Dec 15-16th: In-person event

Mentorship Opportunities
This year, we are offering three mentorship programs at ML4H: Author Mentorship, Reviewer Mentorship, and Career Mentorship.

The Author Mentorship Program pairs less experienced authors with senior researchers to provide feedback on their paper submission, with the overall goal of improving submission quality and fostering future collaboration. Deadline: July 5th.

The Reviewer Mentorship Program aims to train junior reviewers, foster new connections and relationships in the ML4H community, and ultimately improve the quality of the review process. Deadline: August 30th.

The Career Mentorship Program focuses advice on career-related topics, from developing a research plan to work-life balance. Deadline: October 15th.

Call for Demonstrations
There is a growing need for the evaluation of the challenges, solutions, and maturity of real-world ML4H tools. The Demo track invites submissions which showcase real-world applications of ML4H technologies, bridging the gap from proof-of-concept to practical utility. Accepted submissions will be non-archival and have the opportunity to present their live demo during the symposium. Check the Call for Demos for more details to come.

Contact Us
Please direct questions to: info [at] ml4h.cc (info[at]ml4h[dot]cc) and follow us on Twitter at @symposiumml4h.

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.

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.

Find out about Brainmap here. Sign up here for our mailing list, in order to receive notices about our upcoming seminars.

KOCH INSTITUTE IMAGE AWARDS COMPETITION OPENS

The 2025 Image Awards Competition is now OPEN.

Submissions should be sent along with accompanying information from(s) to kigalleries [at] mit.edu (kigalleries[at]mit[dot]edu)  - the deadline for submission is Friday, October 18th, 2024.  

All MIT students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate, and each contributor may submit up to five high-resolution images taken as part of their original MIT research. 

Winning images will appear in the 2025 Image Awards exhibition, opening in March 2025 with lightning talks given by the image creators.

 Details are available at https://ki.mit.edu/image-awards.

ASHDOWN HOUSE JULY BRUNCH (RESCHEDULED FROM JULY 7)

Join us for Ashdown House’s July brunch event on Sunday, July 28, 2024 from 12.30-2.30 PM! As always, expect a delicious selection of foods with meat, vegetarian, and vegan options! This month's brunch will feature dishes celebrating the 4th of July! Look for beef patties, tomato fritters, grilled tofu, desserts, and many more!

Let’s be friendly to the environment, please bring your own utensils! 

Note: Before entering the event room, attendees will be required to scan a QR code that asks for MIT affiliation (student, spouse, etc) and residency information (on/off campus) to help us track attendance for our brunches. We need this information ensure that we continue receiving funding for brunch, so please don’t forget to scan and fill out the attendance forms for all Ashdown brunches moving forward!

To ensure that we can finish preparing everything in time, please sign up to volunteer for a shift here:

 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vZfMOMrwuLZnfcUF1b2InaIpzG-p8hbHYyQU4gYkOgI/edit?usp=sharing

Volunteers get early access to food!

Interested in making / sharing a dish of your own at brunch? Fill out this Brunch showcase form with any ideas you have, and we can provide funding for you and work out how best to scale it up together! 

Finally, if you have any comments / feedback for brunch, please let us know at this link: https://forms.gle/Fii8adAiQiFRudpP9
We are always looking for ways to improve :-)

This event is funded by the Office of Graduate Education.

TOASTMASTERS CLUBS OF MIT

Do you know anyone looking to improve communication skills: speaking and listening? Visit a Toastmasters Club. The members of Toastmasters Clubs of MIT are happy to help students practice.

"Toastmasters is a fantastic way to improve your presentation skills! I personally learned a great deal from the MIT club and highly recommend it." -- Gwen Acton, MIT PhD

Clubs are currently meeting online and in person! 

Toastmasters @ MIT, Friday at 12 noon to 1 PM, via Zoom

Tuesday Evening Toastmasters, 6:30 to 8:00 PM

Humor & Drama Toastmasters, 1st Saturday of the month 10 AM to noon

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.

Some current positions are listed below; find more info on each position 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 Website: https://mitac.mit.edu/
• 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.

Some financial literacy resources:

OGE website’s Financial Wellbeing section: https://oge.mit.edu/finances-employment/financial-wellbeing/

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

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

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

KERBEROS and ID CARDS for SPOUSES & PARTNERS
MIT students and employees may sponsor a guest Kerberos account for their spouse or partner to establish their digital identity in MIT's systems. Once registered, the spouse or partner may activate their digital MIT ID and obtain a physical card if needed. 

Get started at https://ist.mit.edu/id. Please read the instructions carefully as there are different processes for those who live in an MIT residence and for those who live off campus.

For more information about where you can use your MIT ID card, see this page.

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

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

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

POST DOCTORAL FELLOW IN DEEP LEARNING FOR MICROBIOME SPATIAL OMICS

The Gerber Lab (http://gerber.bwh.harvard.edu) is a multidisciplinary group at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School that develops novel computational 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 long-standing and continuing focus of the lab is on incorporating principled probabilistic models into machine learning methods. The director of the lab, Dr. Georg Gerber, MD, PhD, MPH, uses his unique expertise, combining deep learning method development, medical microbiology, and human pathology, to leverage cutting-edge technologies to tackle scientifically and clinically important problems.

We are looking for an exceptional researcher who will play a major role in new initiatives in the lab to develop novel deep learning (DL) approaches to further understanding of the spatial organization of the microbiome--the trillions of microbes living on and within us---and its interactions with mammalian cells. The successful candidate will be highly motivated and creative, taking a lead role in developing new deep learning-based methods, analyzing data, and interpreting results. Although experience analyzing data from biological systems is required, microbiome specific knowledge is not.

Qualifications:

•            PhD in Computer Science, Computational Biology, or other highly quantitative discipline.

•            Outstanding publication track record.

•            Strong mathematical background and skills.

•            Experience developing DL methods.

•            Experience analyzing data from biological systems, including sequencing data.

•            Solid programming skills in Python, including PyTorch.

•            Superior verbal and written communication skills, and ability to work on multidisciplinary teams.

Environment:  the Gerber Lab is located in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Division of Computational Pathology (http://comp-path.bwh.harvard.edu) at Harvard Medical School (HMS). With a recent grant from the Massachusetts Life Science center, the Division has built the Lab for AI/Deep Learning for the Microbiome, which has a state-of-the-art GPU cluster for model development, training and deployment.

To apply: email a single PDF including cover letter, CV, brief research statement and a list of at least three references to Dr. Georg Gerber (ggerber [at] bwh.harvard.edu (ggerber[at]bwh[dot]harvard[dot]edu)).

SHAPE NIH HEAL RESEARCH PRIORITIES

The NIH HEAL Initiative wants to hear from you!

HEAL is seeking public input to help shape strategic research priorities that will guide the initiative’s future efforts to find scientific solutions to the public health crises of overdose, opioid use disorder, and chronic pain.

Submit feedback by July 31, 2024, to HEALquestion [at] od.nih.gov (HEALquestion[at]od[dot]nih[dot]gov) with “HEAL RFI” in the subject line.

Request for Information: http://go.nih.gov/mcoqY3J  

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-term^® Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative^®, supports research to accelerate scientific solutions to the overdose crisis, including improved interventions for opioid use disorder, overdose reversals and pain management. The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit input on the future of the HEAL Initiative and how scientific research can address the urgent public health challenges of opioid use disorder (OUD), overdose, and chronic pain. The NIH is soliciting input from all interested parties, including members of the scientific community, the private sector, community-based organizations, health professionals, professional societies, advocacy groups, patient communities, people with living/lived experience, caregivers, funding agencies and other interested members of the public.

POSTDOCTORAL OPPORTUNITY - RAKESH JAIN LAB - MGH STEELE LABORATORIES

TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT, VASCULAR BIOLOGY, MATRIX BIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, MOLECULAR & CELLULAR BIOLOGY, METABOLISM, INTRAVITAL MICROSCOPY and BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

The JAIN LAB  IN THE STEELE LABORATORIES OF TUMOR BIOLOGY at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School invites applications for Postdoctoral Research Fellow positions. Multiple positions are available in tumor microenvironment, vascular biology, matrix biology, immunology, molecular/cellular biology, metabolism, intravital microscopy and biomedical engineering. Ideal candidates should have a strong academic background, peer-reviewed publications, strong English language proficiency and writing skills. Candidates with a strong background in single-cell- sequencing, bioinformatics, Python, and R statistical computing are also encouraged to apply.

The Steele Labs have a diverse faculty and offer a lively and supportive environment in which to perform cutting-edge interdisciplinary research. Our research goals are (i) to understand how the abnormal tumor microenvironment confers resistance to various cancer treatments (e.g., molecular therapeutics, nanotherapeutics, radiation and immunotherapy), (ii) to develop and test new strategies to overcome this resistance, and (iii) to translate these strategies from bench to bedside through multi-disciplinary clinical trials. This tight integration between bench and bedside and application of engineering/physical science principles to oncology is a hallmark of our research.

Responsibilities: We seek creative thinkers who take risks in defining and addressing important problems, and who use quantitative molecular, genetic, cellular, and computational approaches in their work. Research fellows are encouraged to apply for post- doctoral fellowships and to write their own transition grants to launch their independent research careers following their training period. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience with additional funding for conferences and training seminars.

Requirements: A PhD or MD/PhD is required. To apply, please send your CV, a career statement, a summary of your most significant research accomplishments (300 words) and the contact information of three references to: Steele Labs Recruiting jobs [at] steele.mgh.harvard.edu (jobs[at]steele[dot]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu).

POSTDOC OPPORTUNITY AT ISHA JAIN LAB AT UCSF/GLADSTONE - WORKING ON OXYGEN/VITAMIN METABOLISM

The Jain Lab at UCSF/Gladstone is looking for motivated, hard-working and curious applicants. At a high level, we study how organisms interact with their environments – how “what we breathe” and “what we eat” affects our metabolism and disease progression. More specifically, we are focused on oxygen and vitamin/cofactor metabolism. We recently discovered that chronic hypoxia (equivalent to living in the mountains of Peru or Nepal) can serve as a therapy for mitochondrial disease. This approach is currently in clinical trials. This work has inspired a broader set of research directions ranging from fundamental biochemistry to animal physiology.

The questions we ask:

1. How do cells and organisms sense oxygen or vitamin levels? Are there novel oxygen sensors and vitamin sensors to be found?

2.How does the body adapt to variations in oxygen levels? Or vitamin levels?

3.When the supply and demand of oxygen or vitamins becomes mismatched, how does this contribute to disease?

4.Can we “turn the oxygen and vitamin dials” into creative new therapies?

5. What is the most practical form of turning these concepts into translatable therapies?

The approach we take: CRISPR screens, metabolomics, classical biochemistry/molecular biology, animal physiology and beyond.

Post-docs will be encouraged to lead independent projects resulting in high impact publications, present at conferences and prepare for long-term careers in academia or industry.

Please email Isha.Jain [at] gladstone.ucsf.edu (Isha[dot]Jain[at]gladstone[dot]ucsf[dot]edu) for more info or to apply. Isha is a  graduate of the MEMP PhD program.

POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR OPPORTUNITY - VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY - DIVISION OF PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

Virginia Commonwealth University's Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is expanding its research lab to encompass basic science, clinical research, translational science, and device development. Our lab is dedicated to investigating skin biology, skin conditions such as keloids and hypertrophic scars, burn physiology, and the regeneration of skin and soft tissues.

We are currently seeking a highly motivated and skilled postdoctoral scholar to join our dynamic team. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in supporting ongoing research initiatives in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery. This position will primarily involve laboratory work geared towards advancing these goals, including the utilization of cellular models, sequencing patient and animal samples, and analyzing therapeutic compounds. Additionally, the role will entail conducting small and large animal experiments under appropriate guidance to further basic science and therapeutic developments, with the ultimate objective of translating bench research into clinical applications. Experience in biomedical engineering and/or medical device design is preferred.

For additional details and to submit an application please use this link: https://www.jobs.virginia.gov/jobs/postdoctoral-scholar-department-of-surgery-division-of-plastic-reconstructive-surgery-richmond-virginia-united-states

PASCALL SYSTEMS JOB OPENING

Pascall Systems, a medical device startup by a group of MIT alumni is recruiting interns/part-time positions from PhD candidates with backgrounds in signal processing, machine learning, etc. interested in an industry research stint at an MIT/Harvard medical spin-off/startup.

If you are interested, please read details of the position here https://www.pascallsystems.com/post/we-re-hiring-algorithm-engineer-intern-part-time-full-time and reach out to the CEO directly who was an MIT BCS alum (Tuan Le Mau, PhD, t_lemau [at] mit.edu (t_lemau[at]mit[dot]edu) or tuan [at] pascallsystems.com (tuan[at]pascallsystems[dot]com))

RESEARCH INTERN POSITION - PARADIGM BIOCAPITAL

Research Intern, Paradigm BioCapital
Full-time, in-person; New York, NY

Paradigm BioCapital is a $2.2B AUM biotechnology-focused hedge fund based in New York, NY. We believe that the most appealing investments in biotechnology deliver transformative benefits to patients and redefine the treatment paradigm for physicians. Our investment strategy focuses on identifying such opportunities at the earliest proof of concept where the balance of reward and risk is most attractive. 

Position
Based in our NYC office, this internship is an intensive 10-12 week opportunity to learn and participate in a fast-paced and engaging investing environment. The intern will collaborate with the research team in evaluating potential investments through fundamental analysis of unmet medical need, clinical validation, and company outlook. 

Qualifications

• MD (preferred), PhD in life sciences, or MBA candidate from a top-tier university
  • If MBA, then undergraduate degree in biological sciences or post-graduate work in the biotechnology industry
• High integrity
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Passion for learning and humility in academic pursuits
• Detail-oriented with an eye for inconsistent findings

How to Apply

Please submit the following in PDF format to Vinayak Nikam at vinayak [at] paradigmbiocapital.com:

• Cover letter
  • Discuss any previous experience with biomedical research or the biotechnology industry
  • Highlight any therapeutic areas or technologies of interest.
  • Describe an experience when you worked in a small team of 3-5 people.
• Resume

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AND SHIRLEY RYAN ABILITYLAB POST DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP OPENINGS

Northwestern University, in collaboration with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago), announces several post-doctoral fellowship positions. All positions are two-year, full-time fellowships that provide an opportunity for individuals who have completed a PhD or other terminal degree to gain expertise and experience in health services research broadly, with the goal of preparing for a scholarly career. All openings are funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research; research activities must relate to NIDILRR’s Long Range Plan.

Information about and application requirements are available on the Integrated Program in Health Services and Outcomes Research website: https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/cehs/fellowships/index.html

Contact Allen Heinemann at 312.238.2920 or a-heinemann [at] northwestern.edu (a-heinemann[at]northwestern[dot]edu) for questions about eligibility and program fit. We encourage applications from women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. Northwestern University and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab are affirmative action, equal opportunity employers.

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."

MIT ENGINE BLUEPRINT PROGRAM FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS SEEKING NEW COHORT

About The Engine:
The Engine is bridging the gap between discovery and commercialization for breakthrough inventions and accelerating the pathway for Tough Tech founders and companies. 

Introducing Blueprint:
The Blueprint Program  is a non-resident program for graduate students, postdocs, research scientists, and their teams, to explore the commercial opportunities of their breakthroughs and startup projects. The program helps the next generation of Tough Tech leaders navigate the commercialization process through tailored programming which covers a wide array of critical topics, from technology risk mitigation and experimentation planning to market discovery, IP strategies, and effective storytelling, all through a lens of de-risking. 

Join Us:
We encourage scientists and engineers to Blueprint and take their project to new heights. To learn more and to apply, please click here. The application deadline for our next cohort is August 12th @ 11:59pm. 

Additionally, we will be hosting a Blueprint x Activate Happy Hour on August 6th @ The Engine 750 Main St. The intent is to bring the Blueprint and Activate community together in order to engage with interested applicants and learn more about each program. We would love for you to join us. Please RSVP here.

CAPD FACULTY JOB SEARCH GUIDE

CAPD has launched the Faculty Job Search Guide! This completes our online PhD career support program (Kerberos login required), which brings together industry and academic job search resources and examples for easy access. The whole set of resources, the Faculty Job Search Guide, the PhD Career Document Library, and our PhD Resumes for Industry Jobs, is there whenever our students are ready. You can also find links on the CAPD PhD page.

MCKINSEY AND COMPANY RECRUITING NEWS

Starting in January, we will begin recruiting for those interested in our full-time Associate role who graduate between December 2024 – Summer 2025. Advanced Professional Degree (APD) candidates are postdocs or working toward the following degrees: PhD, MD (including medical interns, residents and fellows), JD, PharmD, Nursing, and non-MBA Masters. Non-MBA Master candidates must have at least four years in between the completion of their undergraduate degree and graduate degree to be qualified as having an APD.

Over 80% of our consultants have advanced degrees in fields outside of business, and as our firm continues to grow and evolve, we are looking for more people like you – experts in their fields – to join our community. We hope you will consider starting your journey with us, so you can be at your best at McKinsey!

Make sure to bookmark our website ahead of the new year.

As always, feel free to reach out to our APD_Recruiting_Team [at] McKinsey.com (APD recruiting team) with questions!

What’s on the horizon…
We will be hosting virtual sessions each month. These sessions will help you learn about the world of consulting, how your degree will be valuable, what life is like at McKinsey, and how we help our clients solve the most complex problems.

We can’t forget to mention Insight & Diversity Connect! Planning is underway for these two flagship programs. Find information on our website.

Connecting on campus Our recruiting team or consultants may be visiting a campus near you. Whether virtually or in-person, we are excited to learn more about YOU and what makes you interested in McKinsey!

Fill out our Connect with APD form!

This will give you access to all things APD recruiting in the coming months.
Make sure you’re on our list.

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.

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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