Post-Doctoral Associate: Sleep- DBS Parkinson's Disease

Position Summary

The Neuromodulation Research Center (NMRC) at the University of Minnesota is seeking a Post-Doctoral Associate to study the brain mechanisms involved in disordered sleep in Parkinson's disease (PD) and develop sleep‑specific deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapies. Under the direction of Luke Johnson, PhD and Jerrold Vitek, MD PhD, the Post‑Doctoral Associate will work collaboratively within the NMRC on a clinical research project and have the unique opportunity to perform cortical and subcortical electrophysiological recordings across the sleep‑wake cycle in patients receiving DBS implants.

The Post‑Doctoral Associate may also be involved in a study utilizing high‑field 7T MRI fiber tractography and computational modeling to associate pathway activation patterns with sleep outcomes following clinically optimized DBS in PD patients. The Post‑Doctoral Associate's research will provide a better understanding of the brain circuitry involved in disordered sleep in PD, contribute to the development of electrophysiological based strategies (e.g., closed‑loop DBS) for the treatment of sleep‑wake disturbances, and provide the rationale for selection of DBS targets and programming settings in PD patients for whom sleep disturbances play a major role in their disease.

Hybrid, M-F, 8:30am - 5pm

• 75% Research Duties:
  Data collection, analysis, method development, publication of results in manuscripts, proceedings, and conference abstracts.
• 10% Supervision and Project Management:
  Manage junior lab members, and volunteers to ensure timely completion of project aims.
• 5% Career Development:
  Professional skills, leadership training, technical skills development.
• 5% Outreach:
  Patient/community outreach, Industry Partnerships.
• 5% Travel:
  Attending/presenting at local/national/international conferences.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Neuroscience, BME, ECE, or similar field.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with others.
• Strong quantitative background and signal processing expertise appropriate for the analysis of neural activity.
• Strong record of presenting research results through publications and conference abstracts.

Preferred Qualifications

• Programming in MATLAB.
• A background in sleep physiology.

Pay Range: $65,480 annually – $79,076 annually; depending on education/qualifications/experience.

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off.
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training.
• Medical, dental, and pharmacy plans.
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• University HSA contributions.
• Disability and life insurance.
• Employee wellbeing program.
• Financial counseling services.
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost.

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. The University presumes that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds. The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.