Postdoc position in Alzheimer’s disease and brainstem neuroimaging at MGH Full-time

Postdoc position: Alzheimer’s disease and brainstem neuroimaging at Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School

The Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, located within the Department of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) in Boston, Massachusetts, has an opening for a highly qualified postdoctoral individual to work with Dr. Heidi Jacobs. The Jacobs lab is focused on improving the early detection and early treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The lab focuses on the neuromodulatory subcortical nuclei, in particular the locus coeruleus, using a variety of approaches, including 7T MRI, PET imaging, pupil measurements, physiological recording, blood-based markers, cognitive assessments and non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation. This project is focused on the functional balance between the brainstem and cortex in relation to pathological changes in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. This project will require combining fMRI and PET-data from existing datasets with computational modeling approaches. The Jacobs Lab consists of a multidisciplinary team of two instructors, four postdocs, two PhD-students, two clinical research coordinators and one project manager.

The work in this project will be performed at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown Navy Yard. The candidate will be part of ongoing collaborations and work in a stimulating and inspiring environment. Our research group values open communication, motivation, optimism, mutual respect, teamwork, and innovative thinking. Dr. Jacobs is highly committed to individualized mentoring to help trainees achieve the most out of their postdoctoral candidature and to move forward in their career. At a minimum, the training environment will include professional development, one-on-one meetings, group lab meetings, frequent seminars and journal clubs, opportunities to present their work at national and international scientific conferences (i.e. Human Amyloid Imaging, Alzheimer’s Association International Conference), collaborations with partners within and outside MGH, and manuscript preparation for publication in high-impact journals. In addition, Dr. Jacobs has a strong funding record and will strongly encourage and provide mentorship in grant applications.

Requirements: Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience, Computational Neuroscience, bio/medical physics, Neuroimaging, Psychology (Biological), or a related discipline. Strong analytical, quantitative, and programming skills, along with experience in complex fMRI modeling, are essential, as is the ability to relate neuroimaging findings within a pathobiological framework of neurodegenerative diseases. The candidate should be highly motivated, a strong communicator, possess internal drive to learn independently, but also be comfortable with working as part of a larger collaborative team. A real necessity is a passion for science, strong scientific writing and organizational skills, and a positive attitude. Experience in Alzheimer’s disease or aging research would be beneficial.

MGH & HMS are equal-opportunity, affirmative action employers. Women and minority candidates are encouraged to apply.

Apply: The successful candidate will have joint appointments at MGH and HMS. If interested, please send your CV, letter describing interests, background, major achievements, skills, goals and contact information for three professional references. Please send application materials to Dr. Heidi Jacobs, Associate Professor of Radiology

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