Director of Human Physiology and Performance Research

University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

15h•$80,891 - $120,000

About The Position

The Diffusion & Connectomics in Precision Healthcare Research (DiCIPHR) lab at the University of Pennsylvania conducts multidisciplinary research integrating neuroimaging, neuroscience, physiological measurements, and computational methods to understand human health and neurological function. The lab leads VESPER (Variance in Energy SPectrum Exposure Response), a longitudinal research program investigating the neurological, physiological, and functional effects of occupational exposures through brain imaging, wearable technologies, electrophysiology, vestibular and oculomotor assessments, cognitive testing, sleep measurements, and other physiological assessments. The Director will provide scientific leadership for VESPER’s physiological and neurobehavioral assessment components. The position oversees the implementation, validation, and interpretation of multimodal assessments, particularly wearable technologies such as WHOOP and Muse, research-grade EEG, eye tracking, and related measures of autonomic, neurological, and cognitive function. The work examines relationships among physiological regulation, brain function, sleep, recovery, cognitive performance, and resilience, and seeks objective measures of functional changes associated with occupational and environmental exposures. The Director will work with clinical investigators, neuroscientists, biomedical engineers, computational researchers, and technology partners to develop rigorous assessment protocols, ensure high-quality measurements, and integrate findings across modalities. The role also supervises research personnel and coordinates assessment activities across remote and in-person study visits. The position is contingent upon funding.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience, Human Physiology, Biomedical Engineering, Biological Sciences, Experimental Psychology, or a closely related discipline, and 5–7 years of relevant research experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Demonstrated expertise in human physiology, neuroscience, or neurophysiology, including experience designing, implementing, or interpreting human physiological assessments.
Experience with physiological measurement technologies, including electrophysiology, wearable monitoring, autonomic assessments, or neurobehavioral testing.
Strong understanding of the physiological basis and interpretation of measurements related to brain function, autonomic regulation, sleep, and human performance.
Experience developing and implementing research protocols and standardized assessment procedures.
Ability to critically evaluate physiological data, recognize measurement artifacts and confounding factors, and distinguish meaningful biological changes from technical variability.
Experience supervising or mentoring research personnel and coordinating multidisciplinary research activities.
Excellent scientific communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively with clinical investigators, engineers, computational scientists, and external research partners.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MS, PhD, MD, or equivalent) in Neuroscience, Human Physiology, Neurophysiology, Biomedical Engineering, Experimental Psychology, or a related field.
Experience in human performance research, cognitive neuroscience, autonomic physiology, or integrative systems physiology.
Experience with EEG acquisition, analysis, and physiological interpretation, including wearable EEG technologies such as Muse.
Experience with wearable physiological monitoring platforms such as WHOOP and interpretation of sleep, heart rate, heart rate variability, activity, and recovery measures.
Experience with eye tracking, oculomotor function, vestibular assessments, or neurobehavioral testing.
Familiarity with sleep physiology and interpretation of physiological sleep measurements.
Experience integrating physiological measurements with cognitive, clinical, and neuroimaging data.
Familiarity with physiological signal processing, statistical analysis, and computational approaches to multimodal data integration.
Experience conducting longitudinal human research, including studies of occupational exposures, neurological conditions, or military populations.
Experience collaborating with industry partners and evaluating emerging physiological monitoring technologies.
Scientific publication record in neuroscience, physiology, human performance, or related biomedical research.

Responsibilities

Lead the scientific development, implementation, and interpretation of physiological and neurobehavioral assessments within VESPER.
Oversee the selection and validation of assessment technologies, development of standardized acquisition protocols, and identification of physiologically meaningful outcome measures.
Direct use of WHOOP for longitudinal monitoring of sleep, activity, cardiovascular and autonomic function, and Muse for wearable EEG monitoring.
Oversee research-grade EEG and eye-tracking assessments to characterize neural activity, oculomotor function, and neurobehavioral performance.
Guide scientific interpretation of physiological data, evaluate relationships between modalities, and work with computational scientists to develop appropriate analytical approaches.
Identify longitudinal patterns, distinguish meaningful physiological changes from measurement variability, and evaluate relationships among physiological function, cognitive performance, and exposure-related outcomes.
Supervise research personnel and coordinate assessment activities across remote and in-person study visits.
Collaborate with investigators and external partners to ensure the scientific rigor, consistency, and translational relevance of the research.
Develop and validate objective physiological and neurobehavioral measures of human health, performance, recovery, and resilience.

Benefits

Comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits.
Flexible spending accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses.
Tuition assistance for employees, spouses, and dependent children at Penn; dependent children may also receive tuition assistance at other institutions.
Basic, matching, and supplemental retirement plans, with pre-tax or Roth savings options and investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Substantial time away from work during the year.
Long-term care insurance.
Wellness and work-life programs and resources.
Professional and personal development resources.
Access to university resources, libraries, athletic facilities, and cultural and recreational activities.
Discounts and special services, including arts, entertainment, transportation, and other goods and services.
Flexible work options and flexible work hours.
Forgivable homeownership loan for eligible employees buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia.
Adoption expense reimbursement for eligible employees, for up to two adoptions in the household.