Post Doctoral Research Fellow

Hospital for Special Surgery • New York, NY

11h

About The Position

The Biomechanics Department of the Hospital for Special Surgery is seeking candidates for a five-year NIH-funded postdoctoral position. The research aims to predict and prevent loosening of total knee arthroplasty implants, which often appears as progressive implant migration. The fellow will study a prospective cohort of 200 TKA patients using CT-based radiostereometric analysis and patient-specific musculoskeletal and finite element modeling. The work will define early thresholds for at-risk migration, relate migration to load transfer between implant and bone, and assess the relative contributions of bone density and joint loads to implant migration.

The fellow will work with a multidisciplinary team of engineers, orthopedic surgeons, and biostatisticians. HSS Biomechanics staff, orthopedic surgeons from the Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement service, and Biostatistics Department staff will provide mentoring and training. The fellowship is intended to offer broad multidisciplinary research experience and career development.

Requirements

• PhD.
• Strong mechanical engineering background, including finite element modeling.
• Experience with MATLAB and image processing.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong team science skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Abaqus for finite element modeling is preferred.
• Experience with OpenSim for musculoskeletal modeling is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead collection, analysis, and interpretation of a multimodal dataset including CT, motion analysis, and radiographs.
• Measure implant migration using CT-based radiostereometric analysis.
• Build patient-specific musculoskeletal and finite element models to quantify joint mechanics, including kinematics and kinetics, and implant fixation, including bone strain and micromotion.
• Extend and refine the modeling pipeline.
• Perform data analysis and synthesis in collaboration with engineers and biostatisticians.
• Maintain the data storage database and ensure the integrity and quality of collected data.
• Maintain technical documentation.
• Communicate results internally, at national and international scientific meetings, and in peer-reviewed scientific publications.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree