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Advertising Summary: Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU’s sponsored research, the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient care and education. Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity employer.

https://vcujobs.com/why-richmond

Unit: School Of Medicine MBU

Department: Neurology

Department Summary: The Department of Neurology has a talented, robust team of faculty and staff members spanning nine divisions includes representatives from every neurology subspecialty in adult and child neurology, plus award-winning educators, clinical and translational neuroscientists and master clinicians.

The Department of Neurology’s vision is to provide the best patient-centered neurological care while fostering the career development, education and training of our team members. We endeavor to realize this vision by fulfilling the following three missions:

1. Improve the lives of children and adults with neurological disorders through compassionate, high-quality medical care and patient education.

2. Provide exceptional education to our students, residents, fellows and the wider community of medical professionals.

3. Advance the knowledge of neurological diseases by actively developing innovative treatments through basic, translational and clinical research.

The objective of this post-doctoral fellow position is to provide scientific assistance in a Movement Disorders clinical research laboratory in the Department of Neurology. This position will support the success of grant applications and manuscript publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals through the design and implementation of clinical research protocols, dataset preparation, and data analyses. Such support will help the Principal Investigator secure and maintain external funding which will enhance the stature and funding level of the Department as well as the individual laboratory.

Parkinson disease and dementia with Lewy bodies are progressive neurodegenerative diseases associated with significant disability. Neuropsychiatric symptoms including cognitive impairment are significant contributors to the disability associated with these diseases. Our research is focused on improving the understanding and treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with Lewy body diseases. We aim to accomplish this by employing EEG, MRI and other biomarkers in our research protocols and analysis of data collected locally as well as part of larger multi-center efforts.

We are currently seeking a post-doctoral fellow to assist in the development and execution of human-subject based research studies. The candidate must be detail-oriented, organized, reliable, and committed to pursuing scientific excellence through research. This position requires an independent, organized, and self-motivated individual with robust problem-solving skills. Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and a strong work ethic are essential.  Candidates may also have previous experience in bench research and an ability to partner with our basic science colleagues in translational projects.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the operation of the laboratory by ensuring accurate collection and storage of data from EEG, MRI, biomarkers, and cognitive tasks.
• Support Movement Disorders clinical research laboratory by designing, reviewing, and implementing clinical research protocols, dataset preparation, and data analyses.
• Lead the preparation and submission of scientific manuscripts arising from laboratory projects, including preparation of results, manuscript drafting and revision, coordination with co-authors, and submission to peer-reviewed journals.
• Contribute to applications for intramural and extramural funding that support the continued growth of the laboratory.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Candidates must have a PhD in Neurobiology, Biology, Biochemistry or health-related field; or an MD or MD-equivalent degree.
• Expertise in statistical software programs such as SPSS, SAS, R, and/or STATA.
• Prior experience in EEG or MRI processing and analysis.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Be fluent in spoken and written English.
• Must have excellent communication skills and a demonstrated ability to work professionally and efficiently with students, faculty, and patients / clinical research participants.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong scientific writing skills are preferred.
• It is preferred that prior scientific work will have been presented in scientific publications and presentations at national and international conferences.
• The post-doctoral position is available for 1 year, with potential for extension beyond this period contingent upon progress and available funding.
• This position will follow the guidelines for compensation as recommended by the National Institutes of Health.

Salary Range: Commensurate starting at $63,480

Benefits: All VCU employee types are eligible for a wide array of benefits to support you during your employment at VCU. Consult the benefits website for information on benefits eligibility according to employee type.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Hours per Week: 40

Restricted Position: Yes

ORP Eligible: Yes

Flexible Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Contact Information:
Contact Name: Eric Hunsley
Contact Email: Eric.Hunsley@vcuhealth.org