Postdoctoral Fellow in Neurobiology; Bean Lab

Postdoctoral Fellow in Neurobiology (Bean Lab)

We invite applicants for a postdoctoral fellow position in the Bean lab at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. The work of the Bean lab is focused on drug discovery in the area of developing ion channel pharmacology for treating pain, epilepsy, and other neurological disorders. We welcome applications from candidates holding a PhD in Neuroscience or Pharmacology who are interested in these or related fields, particularly those who may have experience in drug discovery using patch clamp electrophysiology or who can bring a new technology or perspective to bear on the work in the lab.

The work is based on electrophysiological recordings using the patch clamp technique to characterize function of ion channels and interactions of novel compounds with ion channels in both heterologous expression systems and in native neurons. The successful candidate will work with Dr. Bean and a team of postdoctoral researchers in the Bean lab to do early-stage drug discovery to find novel compounds to treat pain, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis by modulating the function of particular ion channels.

The work will be based on electrophysiological studies of ion channels using patch clamp electrophysiological recordings of both cloned ion channels in heterologous expression systems and of native ion channels in enzymatically isolated neurons. In addition to carrying out bench research using electrophysiological recording, the successful candidate will be expected to help generate new cell lines with heterologous expression of ion channels, work closely with medicinal chemists to use structure-activity data to design new compounds, apply for fellowship funding, contribute to the writing of grants and manuscripts, participate in teaching and mentoring of lab members as needed, and otherwise contribute to overall lab operations and collaborative environment.

Basic Qualifications
- Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in Neuroscience or Pharmacology, with expertise in cellular neurophysiology or related fields

Experience in patch clamp-based electrophysiological recording from native neurons

Experience in drug screening and drug discovery using patch clamp electrophysiology

Experience with generating heterologous cell lines for electrophysiological drug screening

Expertise with mammalian cell culture and aseptic technique

Additional Qualifications
- If visa sponsorship is needed, Harvard retains the discretion to determine which visa status is appropriate and whether a visa sponsorship application will ultimately be submitted, including payment of any applicable fees.

Special Instructions
- Required documents:

CV Research summary of PhD work.

Cover letter describing your interest in the lab and initial ideas for new research directions or projects you could undertake in the lab.

ANOTEwith the names and contact information for two people who have agreed to serve as a reference.

Please submit application documents through the ARIeS portal. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Selected candidates will be invited for in-person interviews involving a research presentation on past work.

Expected Dates:

Final date to receive applications:
July 31, 2026.

Start date:

The position is expected to start on or around early Fall 2026with some flexibility.

Duration:
This is a one-year term position from the date of hire, with the possibility of extension, contingent upon work performance, business need, and continued funding to support the position.

Salary and Benefits :

This position is salaried and benefits eligible. Information regarding postdoctoral fellow salary, which is determined by the number of years post PhD, and benefits can be found athttps://postdoc.hms.harvard.edu/guidelines.

With this appointment, you are represented by the Harvard Academic Workers (HAW) –UAWfor purposes of collective bargaining and matters affecting your compensation and working conditions.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy.