Postdoctoral Scholar

Penn State University • Ferguson Township, PA

2d

About The Position

The College of Engineering, Graduate Program in Acoustics at The Pennsylvania State University is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Scholar to lead an interdisciplinary project investigating the effects of non-invasive ultrasound stimulation on cognitive function and brain waste clearance (the glymphatic system). The successful candidate will explore the hypothesis that chronic transcranial ultrasound can enhance glymphatic transport, thereby slowing cognitive decline associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Acoustics, or a related field.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work in a collaborative, cross-disciplinary environment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with small animal ultrasound neuromodulation, or glymphatic system research is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Animal Studies: Build a small animal ultrasound platform and perform chronic ultrasound stimulation in rat models.
• Behavioral Testing: Conduct and analyze complex operant behavior tasks
• Histology & Safety: Perform immunohistochemistry (IHC) to assess blood-brain barrier integrity, neuroinflammation (GFAP, Iba-1), and neuronal health.
• Data Dissemination: Analyze data, prepare manuscripts for publication, and present findings at conferences.

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.
• For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees