Postdoctoral Research Associate I, Neurosurgery

The Pilitsis lab in the department of Neurosurgery at the University of Arizona is seeking candidates for one full-time Postdoctoral Research Associate I. Dr. Pilitsis is a functional neurosurgeon and her research merges the fields of neuroscience, electrophysiology, computational modeling to develop novel therapeutics for the treatment of pain, neurological diseases, and cancer. The Pilitsis lab is well funded by NIH for developing cutting-edge technologies, integrating focused ultrasound and trans spinal magnetic stimulation to develop novel functional neurosurgical treatments that will improve the lives of patients. The successful applicant will work as a member of a collaborative research team to develop potential functional neurosurgical treatments using state-of-the-art in vivo methodologies.

This project involves both preclinical rodent and swine models of neuropathic pain and human clinical data. Research will also require development in vivo experimental paradigms as dictated by progress on the project, a willingness to work collaboratively with both bench and computational scientists, preparation of research results for publication in top-tier peer reviewed journals and presentation of data at scientific meetings. The position will also involve research mentorship of graduate students and/or undergraduate research assistants. An extensive working experience in neuroscience and/or neurodegenerative disease as well as animals' models, and a background in in vivo electrophysiology is preferred.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States.

The postdoctoral candidate will benefit from the diverse, rich and interdisciplinary research at The University of Arizona, which has a strong tradition of neuroscience and neurosurgical research. The University of Arizona is in Tucson, Arizona, a city known for outdoor activities, including hiking and biking. Information for potential postdoctoral researchers can be found here: http://postdoc.arizona.edu/

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, vision, and life insurance; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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• Carry out independent and/or directed research to achieve the objectives of the research project.
• Innovate new areas of inquiry.
• Advance novel techniques and experimental approaches.
• Assist faculty in the development of research proposals, grants, and manuscripts.
• Present data at scientific meetings.
• Identify appropriate career-level funding sources and apply for independent funding.
• Mentor junior laboratory members including graduate and undergraduate students.
• Participate as a productive team member and assist with administrative and maintenance duties in laboratory management.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Documented ability to conduct original research with a strong publication record.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• PhD or MD/PhD in Neuroscience, Physiology, or Biomedical Sciences.
• Research experience in neurodegenerative diseases or neuroscience laboratory.
• Research experience with animal models.

• Significant experience with rodent surgery (stereotaxic and spinal surgery preferred).
• Experience with in vivo electrophysiology and rodent behavior.
• Histology experience including immunohistochemistry and/or immunofluorescence.
• Experience with statistical packages (e.g. Prism, R, SPSS
• Experience with MatLab, Python, DeepLabCut for neural signal processing and movement analysis.