Post Doctoral Associate - Collinger lab

Post-Doc Position: Efficacy and mechanisms of action of transcutaneous and epidural spinal cord stimulation

This is a full-time Postdoctoral Associate position to work on the development of spinal cord stimulation for people with upper limb paralysis due to spinal cord injury. The overall goal of the project is to compare the efficacy and mechanisms of action of transcutaneous and epidural spinal cord stimulation for restoring hand and arm function. Individuals with spinal cord injury will be enrolled in a clinical trial in which they will participate in transcutaneous and epidural spinal cord stimulation sessions combined with rehabilitation exercises. We will explore the effects of each spinal cord stimulation paradigm on spinal cord circuitry using subject-specific computational models. This work will be conducted in the Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, a collaborative research space led by 9 principal investigators dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals living with neurological impairments by advancing the scientific understanding of the motor and somatosensory systems to engineer new rehabilitation therapies and technologies.

Responsibilities include the design, execution, and management of experiments involving transcutaneous and epidural spinal cord stimulation, rehabilitation, and functional assessments. The candidate will develop and implement stimulation protocols to facilitate selective activation of muscles in the arm and hand. They will analyze biomechanical and neurophysiological data to quantify changes in arm and hand function. The candidate will also use CT and MRI images to develop subject-specific computational models to better understand the mechanisms of action of transcutaneous and epidural spinal cord stimulation.

There will be opportunities to closely interact with multiple faculty investigators from clinical, engineering, and basic science departments across the University of Pittsburgh. With supervision and support from faculty mentors, the candidate will be encouraged to develop independent research projects/expertise, participate in professional development opportunities, disseminate their research findings through peer-reviewed publications and scientific meetings, and develop and submit fellowship grant proposals.
The candidate should have a PhD in Biomedical/Neural Engineering, Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, or a related field.

Please apply to requisition #26003501 at https://www.join.pitt.edu/

The University of Pittsburgh is an equal opportunity employer / disability / veteran.