Postdoctoral fellows wanted at the University of Maryland Baltimore School of Dentistry

The Department of Neural and Pain Sciences (NPS) at the University of Maryland Baltimore is seeking multiple talented and enthusiastic postdoctoral fellows interested in chronic pain/headache research. The department is multidisciplinary and highly collaborative and helps lead the campus-wide Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research (CACPR). This center includes more than 20 researchers with established, NIH-funded pain research labs from the schools of dentistry, nursing, medicine and pharmacy. Successful candidates will join a unique research environment that includes weekly pain-focused journal clubs, bi-weekly pain seminars, an annual CACPR Symposium, and further opportunities that foster career development for postdoctoral trainees. Fellows will be encouraged to present at local and national scientific conferences and therefore need to have excellent oral and written communication skills. They need to be self-motivated, and able to work independently and as part of a team.

Candidates are expected to be highly motivated, completed (or about to complete) a PhD, MD, or MD/PhD in neuroscience or a related discipline, with a record of publications in this area.

Specific laboratory opportunities:

• The Akerman and Romero-Reyes lab (sakerman@umaryland.edu) is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to lead an NIH funded research project to study a novel target and underlying mechanism to treat migraine and related headaches. The laboratory investigates neurophysiological and molecular mechanisms in headache and other related trigeminal pain disorders, using a multidisciplinary approach in rodent models. A background in pain/headache is desired, preclinical experience is essential, and expertise in in vivo electrophysiology, rodent microsurgeries, or behavioral nociceptive measurements would be a strong advantage.
• The Traub lab (rtraub@umaryland.edu) is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to join a multidisciplinary research team (Traub, Da Silva, Melemedjian, Scott) addressing novel therapeutic approaches to treat nociplastic pain focusing on rodent models of temporomandibular disorder and irritable bowel syndrome comorbidity. Combining behavioral studies, molecular techniques, functional brain imaging and mass spectrometry imaging, studies are examining changes in lipid expression and signaling in the brain contributing to sex differences in TMD and IBS pain over time.  
• The Ro (jro@umaryland.edu) Lab, in collaboration with the Da Silva (JTeixeira@umaryland.edu) Lab, is currently seeking a postdoctoral research fellow to delve into the study of sex- and age-related differences in the descending pain modulatory system. This endeavor will involve a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach utilizing rodent models of musculoskeletal pain conditions, including temporomandibular disorders and osteoarthritis. Our investigative toolkit encompasses behavioral analysis, functional brain imaging, chemogenetics, and anatomical methodologies. These techniques are employed to unravel the impacts of sex hormones, exercise regimens, and manipulations of brain circuits on endogenous pain modulatory function, as well as their role in chronic pain conditions. Applicants should possess a PhD in neuroscience or a closely related discipline. A background in pain research and hands-on experience in conducting behavioral nociceptive measurements in rodent models are highly desirable qualifications.

The postdoc candidates will be offered competitive salary and fringe benefits, per University of Maryland policy and NIH guidelines.

Please reach out to individual PIs to apply and/or for further details, providing a statement of research experience and interests with a CV, including contact information for three references.