Position Description:

The ReyLab focuses on using recordings from patients with epilepsy implanted with different electrodes that span several spatial scales, from intracranial EEG to field potentials and single neuron activity recorded from microwires. This data is recorded 24/7 during the patient’s stay in the hospital (typically 7 to 10 days). enable us to answer critical questions in cognitive and clinical neuroscience. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of the field by engaging with different companies to develop improved designs of acquisition systems (with Blackrock Neurotech and Ripple Neuromed) and electrodes (with AdTech Medical).

We are looking for a motivated postdoc that will be fully engaged in data acquisition and analysis. They will have the opportunity to participate on clinical research (improving epilepsy biomarkers), but the main project will be on studying human cognition, with a primary focus on memory, but also the chance of looking into other functions like language, attention and decision making. Experiments will range from dynamical paradigms (where stimuli to be presented are chosen based on the neural responses analyzed online) to behavior with naturalistic stimuli (such as movies and videogames). The uniqueness of the setup developed at MCW can lead to high-impact publications, as well as a novel line of research to help them establish their own independent career (which can be initially supported with internal seed grants from MCW). This position will provide a high level of independence with close mentorship, and it requires significant coding experience for data analysis. They will work in close contact with a multidisciplinary team from different departments, including Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Biomedical Engineering.

Primary Functions

• Plan, design and execute complex research studies, procedures and protocols.
• Participate in discovery projects.
• Coordinate research study activities, lead and manage projects.
• Oversee organization, synthesis and analysis of data and findings.
• Prepare scientific reports, outcome findings and scientific manuscripts. 
• Participate in meetings with principal investigator and research staff in which you will evaluate/interpret the validity of data, develop methodologies, and design and evaluate lab procedures.
• Maintain supplies, may require negotiation with vendors, and track purchase orders.
• May oversee the work of laboratory personnel including training and development as well as daily work direction, delegation and establishing priorities.

Preferred Schedule:

Position Requirements:

Knowledge – Skills – Abilities

Required knowledge: signal processing, machine learning, statistics, documentation, records management, data utilization, complex problem solving, critical thinking, resource management, and writing skills

Skills and abilities: Computational and programming skills (Python/Matlab) for software development and data analysis. Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced work environment.

Characteristics of a postdoctoral appointment:

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), a postdoc is an individual who has received a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and is engaged in a temporary and defined period of mentored advanced research training to enhance the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue their chosen career path. In addition, according to the National Postdoc Association (NPA), Postdoctoral appointees can pursue basic, clinical or translational projects so long as their primary effort is devoted toward their own scholarship. Postdocs are essential to the scholarly mission of the mentor and host institution, and thus are expected to have the freedom to publish the results of their scholarship.

It is expected that postdocs at MCW, with the assistance of their supervisor, will:

• Transition to career independence through the development of professional skills that enable the postdoc to actively pursue a career of his/her own choosing.
• Be supervised by at least one senior scholar who actively promotes the postdoc's professional development.
• Establish an individual development plan (IDP) that incorporates equally the postdoc's career and training goals and the mentor's research goals.
• Pursue basic, clinical, or translational projects so long as effort is focused primarily on research.
• Publish results of the postdoc's research and scholarship during their appointment.
• The postdoctoral appointment is temporary by nature, the aggregate amount of time spent as a postdoc is recommended to not exceed five years (not including family medical leave or maternity/paternity leave).
• As postdocs are important members of the host institution's community, appropriate levels of compensation, health care, and other benefits commensurate with their essential status should be afforded, independent of the postdoc's source of funding.

Specifications

• Minimum Required Education: PhD in a scientific field
• Minimum Required Experience:  Proven expertise in signal processing and machine learning for data analysis
• Preferred Education: PhD in biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, computational neuroscience, computer science or related field
• Preferred Experience:  Electrophysiology - Data analysis of extracellular recordings in humans/animals
• Field:  Biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, computational neuroscience, computer science or related field

MCW as an Equal Opportunity Employer and Commitment to Non-Discrimination
The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs, and activities, without regard to an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristic, or military status. Employees, students, applicants or other members of the MCW community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected characteristic.

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