Postdoctoral Associate - Biomedical

University of Miami; United States; On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Miami invites applications for a Postdoctoral Associate to conduct scientific research under senior staff supervision, focusing on neural circuits and respiratory/motor control in preclinical models.

The role emphasizes publishing manuscripts, presenting at meetings, and contributing to protocol development, data analysis, and collaboration across labs; a PhD in neuroscience or related field is required.

Qualifications

• PhD in neuroscience or related field is required.
• Prior neuroscience research experience preferred.
• Experience with rodent models and neurophysiological methods is desirable.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Conducts research on assigned neural and respiratory circuits.
• Prepares research reports and manuscripts for publication.
• Performs experiments using preclinical models and diverse techniques.
• Maintains research records and ensures compliance with policies.
• Collaborates with PI and trainees, mentoring junior researchers when appropriate.

Skills

Learning agility

Teamwork

Technical proficiency

Excellent communication

Education

PhD in neuroscience/related field

Tools

MATLAB

Python

R

Spike2

Job description

CORE JOB SUMMARY

The Postdoctoral Associate performs scientific research and studies under the supervision of managing staff. Moreover, the Postdoctoral Associate promotes institutional recognition through literal contributions to the scientific community.

CORE JOB FUNCTIONS

• Conducts research on specific areas of study as assigned.
• Prepares research reports and technical papers for publishing.
• Investigates the feasibility of applying a wide variety of scientific principles and theories.
• Maintains substantial knowledge of state-of-the-art principles and theories.
• Develops advanced analytical models and systems and provides solutions and analyses to support strategic and tactical decisions.
• Adheres to University and unit-level policies and procedures and safeguards University assets.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities as necessary.

CORE QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Doctorate degree in relevant field required Experience: No previous experience required Certification and Licensing: Refer to department description for applicable certification requirements Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Learning Agility: Ability to learn new procedures, technologies, and protocols, and adapt to changing priorities and work demands. Teamwork: Ability to work collaboratively with others and contribute to a team environment. Technical Proficiency: Skilled in using office software, technology, and relevant computer applications. Communication: Strong and clear written and verbal communication skills for interacting with colleagues and stakeholders.

This is a core job profile description and is not reflective of all duties that may be assigned to a specific position in each individual department. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and primary responsibilities of this core job profile. Specific duties and tasks may vary based upon departmental need. Other duties may be assigned to the above consistent with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the job.

Department Specific Functions

• Conducts research investigating the neural circuits that control breathing and movement and their plasticity following spinal cord injury and other neurological conditions, using preclinical models.
• Designs and performs experiments to define respiratory and motor circuit function using approaches that may include whole-body plethysmography, diaphragm and other muscle EMG, neural electrophysiology, in vivo calcium imaging, viral circuit mapping, behavioral and locomotor assessment, and optogenetic/chemogenetic neuromodulation.
• Performs survival surgeries, viral vector injections, neural and muscle recordings, respiratory and locomotor behavioral testing, tissue collection, histology, microscopy, and quantitative analysis as required by individual studies.
• Acquires, processes, and analyzes respiratory, electrophysiological, imaging, anatomical, locomotor, and other behavioral data using appropriate computational and statistical methods.
• Develops and optimizes experimental approaches to identify spared and reorganized supraspinal and spinal circuits that can be targeted to improve respiratory and motor function after neurological injury or disease.
• Maintains accurate research records; contributes to laboratory protocols, regulatory documentation, data management, and compliance with IACUC, biosafety, and University policies.
• Prepares manuscripts, abstracts, presentations, and data for grant applications and disseminates findings at scientific meetings.
• Works collaboratively with the Principal Investigator, laboratory members, trainees, and internal and external collaborators and contributes to mentoring junior trainees when appropriate.

Department Specific Qualifications

Education: Ph.D in neuroscience, neurobiology, physiology, biomedical engineering, or a closely related field. Certification and Licensing: Not applicable Experience: Prior research experience in neuroscience, neurophysiology, respiratory physiology, motor control, spinal cord injury, neural circuits, or a related area is preferred. Experience with rodent models and one or more of the following is highly desirable: in vivo electrophysiology/EMG, respiratory physiology or whole-body plethysmography, locomotor or motor behavioral assessment, calcium imaging, viral vector approaches, optogenetics/chemogenetics, stereotaxic or spinal surgery, histology, microscopy, and quantitative data analysis. Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes: Strong experimental and quantitative skills with the ability to independently design, execute, troubleshoot, and analyze studies. Knowledge of neural circuit physiology and an interest in respiratory and motor control, neuroplasticity, and functional recovery after neurological injury or disease. Experience with acquisition and analysis of physiological, electrophysiological, imaging, respiratory, locomotor, or behavioral data. Strength organizational skills and attention to rigorous, reproducible research practices. Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment. Strong written and oral communication skills, including preparation of manuscripts and scientific presentations. Experience with programming or quantitative analysis tools (e.g., MATLAB, Python, R, Spike2, or related platforms) is desirable.

The University of Miami offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, tuition remission and more.

UHealth-University of Miami Health System, South Florida's only university-based health system, provides leading-edge patient care powered by the ground breaking research and medical education at the Miller School of Medicine.

As an academic medical center, we are proud to serve South Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean. Our physicians represent more than 100 specialties and sub-specialties, and have more than one million patient encounters each year. Our tradition of excellence has earned worldwide recognition for outstanding teaching, research and patient care.

We're the challenge you've been looking for.

The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law.

Job Status: Full time Employee Type: Staff

The mission of the University of Miami is to transform lives through education, research, innovation, and service.

A vibrant and diverse academic and healthcare community, the University of Miami and the University of Miami Health System ("UHealth") have rapidly progressed to become one of the nation’s top research universities and academic medical centers in the nation.

The University comprises 12 schools and colleges serving undergraduate and graduate students in more than 350 majors and programs.

Visit welcome.miami.edu/about-um to learn more about our points of pride.

The University ranks No. 55 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best Colleges list and ranked No. 49 in the 2022 Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings.

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is ranked the #1 eye hospital in the USA and offers some of the nation's premiere eye doctors to treat every eye condition for adults.

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer, part of the Miller School of Medicine, received the prestigious National Cancer Institute designation in 2019.

The University of Miami and UHealth have also ranked among the Forbes Best Employers and Best Employers for Women on several occasions, most recently in 2022.

With more than 17,000 faculty and staff, the University strives for excellence, and is driven by a powerful mission to transform and impact the lives of its students, patients, members of the community, and people across the globe.

The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law.