Post Doctoral Research Fellow

Mass General Brigham • Belmont, MA

10d • Onsite

About The Position

McLean Hospital is a comprehensive psychiatric hospital committed to providing superior quality, cost-effective mental health services. Since 1811, McLean Hospital has been a world leader in the treatment of mental illness and chemical dependency, research into the cause of mental illness and the training of generations of mental health care providers. McLean's multidisciplinary programs treat a broad range of psychiatric illnesses across the full continuum of care. All McLean team members are expected to consistently demonstrate our values of integrity, compassion, respect, diversity, teamwork, excellence and innovation in their work activities and interactions. A post-doctoral fellow typically holds dual affiliations at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. There are many opportunities for education and growth in our multidisciplinary, collaborative research environment at McLean Hospital that brings together a diverse group of neurobiologists, clinicians, psychologists and statisticians.

Requirements

• PhD, MD, or equivalent doctoral degree in neuroscience, cell biology, molecular biology, biomedical imaging, neuropathology, or a related discipline.
• Substantial hands-on experience with advanced microscopy.
• Scientific judgment needed to guide investigators in experimental design, image acquisition, analysis, and interpretation.
• Prior lab experience required.
• Evidence of strong scientific productivity, including peer-reviewed publications.
• Open to highly motivated candidates with a relevant background.
• Work independently.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated expertise in transmission electron microscopy and/or advanced fluorescence microscopy.
• Experience with biological sample preparation, ultramicrotomy, immuno-electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy, or quantitative image analysis.
• Knowledge of microscopy instrumentation, troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, and quality control.
• Experience training and supporting users with different levels of microscopy expertise.
• Experience with human postmortem tissue, neuroanatomy, neuropathology, cell culture, neuroimmunology, blood–brain barrier biology, or transcriptomics.
• Strong organizational, administrative, and record-keeping skills.
• Experience with budgeting, billing, shared-resource management, or research administration.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with investigators, trainees, administrators, vendors, and external users.
• A strong commitment to experimental rigor, reproducibility, collaborative science, and responsible stewardship of shared research resources.
• Scientific curiosity, careful attention to experimental rigor, excellent organizational and communication skills, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

Responsibilities

• Performs independent and highly specialized experimental procedures
• Designs and implements modifications of research protocols
• Troubleshooting problems and instructing colleagues in highly specialized techniques
• Synthesizes and interprets results
• Performs advanced data recording and analysis using various software programs and statistical techniques
• Maintaining organized and detailed records of laboratory experiments in electronic laboratory notebooks
• Presentation of results at lab meetings and national conferences
• Preparation and submission of research manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals
• Assisting with preparation of grant applications
• Other duties as assigned
• Contribute to a multidisciplinary research program examining how stress and immune signaling affect interactions among neurons, glia, and the neurovascular unit (NVU).
• Develop independent research questions within this program and will contribute to experimental design, data analysis and interpretation, scientific presentations, manuscript preparation, and grant applications.
• Manage the scientific, technical, operational, and financial activities of the McLean Hospital Microscopy Core.
• Serve as a front-line scientific resource for McLean investigators and external users, providing expert guidance on microscopy-based study design, sample preparation, data acquisition, image processing, and quantitative analysis.
• Oversee the overall functioning of the facility, coordinate instrument access and maintenance, train and support users, supervise contracted technical services, and serve as a liaison among investigators, hospital administrative units, vendors, and external service providers.
• Consultation on microscopy-related methods, project feasibility, budgeting, and appropriate use of Core resources.
• Maintain the Reichert-Jung ultramicrotome and ancillary TEM equipment.
• Oversee the operation and maintenance of the JEOL JEM1200EX transmission electron microscope and associated cooling systems.
• Conduct TEM studies for McLean and external investigators.
• Provide expertise in resin embedding, sample preparation, ultramicrotomy, staining, image acquisition, and image processing.
• Perform and support immuno-electron microscopy.
• Perform cryopreservation and freeze substitution of biological specimens.
• Conduct electron tomography on ultrathin sections and reconstruct tomographic datasets.
• Perform negative staining for appropriate biological samples.
• Prepare specialized sample supports, including Formvar- and carbon-coated grids, glow-discharged grids, and grids containing gold fiducial markers.
• Advise investigators on experimental design, sample suitability, controls, and interpretation of ultrastructural findings.
• Coordinate and supervise on-site contracted TEM maintenance and repair services.
• Train users in independent operation of the Leica SP8-TCS laser-scanning confocal microscope.
• Train and support users in image acquisition, processing, visualization, and quantitative analysis.
• Provide consultation on fluorophore selection, spectral separation, imaging parameters, controls, resolution, sampling, and avoidance of imaging artifacts.
• Perform confocal microscopy for McLean and external investigators when specialized assistance is required.
• Maintain the confocal microscope and associated hardware and software in optimal operating condition.
• Diagnose technical problems and coordinate preventive maintenance, repairs, and software or hardware upgrades.
• Supervise on-site contracted services related to the confocal system.
• Train users to operate the Olympus FV-MPE-RS two-photon microscope and Spectra-Physics InSight DeepSee Duo laser system.
• Provide guidance on experimental design, image acquisition, image processing, and quantitative analysis for two-photon applications.
• Support investigators in optimizing imaging parameters for fixed tissue, living preparations, and other appropriate applications.
• Maintain the microscope, laser system, environmental components, and associated software in optimal working condition.
• Coordinate and supervise preventive maintenance, repair, and other contracted services related to the two-photon system.
• Develop and maintain a structured, equitable user registration and instrument-scheduling system.
• Establish and maintain instrument-specific training, authorization, and competency records.
• Develop, update, and enforce standard operating procedures for instrument use, sample preparation, data management, and laboratory safety.
• Monitor instrument usage, performance, service history, and user needs.
• Ensure compliance with laboratory safety, security, biosafety, chemical handling, and hazardous-waste-disposal requirements.
• Maintain adequate inventories of laboratory consumables, reagents, replacement parts, and essential supplies.
• Coordinate relationships with vendors, service engineers, contractors, and institutional administrative units.
• Assist investigators with microscopy-related study design, feasibility assessment, cost estimates, and budget preparation.
• Maintain accurate records of Core projects, users, instrument time, services, and technical support.
• Contribute to strategic planning for equipment replacement, upgrades, and acquisition of new imaging technologies.
• Promote effective and rigorous use of microscopy resources across the McLean research community.
• Generate and issue monthly invoices for instrument usage and Core services.
• Develop and manage the annual operating budget for the Microscopy Core.
• Track service contracts, maintenance expenses, consumables, user charges, and other Core expenditures.
• Maintain detailed and accurate financial records.
• Assist in establishing and periodically reviewing instrument and service rates.
• Provide usage and financial reports to departmental and institutional leadership as requested.
• Contribute technical information and budget estimates for grants involving Core instrumentation or services.
• Assistance in guiding research technicians and trainees in the lab is expected.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits
• Career advancement opportunities
• Differentials
• Premiums
• Bonuses as applicable
• Recognition programs

What This Job Offers

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