Research Assistant Professor (Appointment Stream)

University of Pittsburgh • Pittsburgh, PA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering is seeking a Research Assistant Professor (Appointment Stream). The position will lead a chronic mouse visual cortex platform that resolves the cellular and circuit mechanisms by which intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) and next-generation photoresponsive diamond microelectrodes evoke specific percepts, operating at the intersection of two grant-aligned research threads. Located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh is ranked top-ten in securing NIH funding and provides a rich environment for interdisciplinary research, strengthened through its affiliation with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). The Department of Bioengineering, consistently ranked among the top programs in the country, has outstanding research and educational programs, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. Numerous institutes and centers offer collaborative research and biomedical innovation and translation opportunities.

Requirements

• PhD in Bioengineering, Neuroscience, Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Optics, Materials Science, Molecular or Cellular Biology, or a closely related STEM discipline.
• Demonstrated expertise in chronic in vivo multiphoton imaging of mouse visual cortex, including stereotaxic surgery, chronic cranial window preparation, AAV-mediated GCaMP expression, and longitudinal multi-week imaging schedules.
• Direct ICMS experience, including multi-frequency stimulation paradigms (10 to 500 Hz), waveform design, and quantitative analysis of stimulation-evoked neural and hemodynamic responses.
• Strong peer-reviewed publication record as first or co-first author, with manuscripts in journals such as Journal of Neural Engineering, Biomaterials, Brain Stimulation, or equivalent.
• Proficiency in signal processing and quantitative analysis in MATLAB and Python, with shared code or analysis pipeline.
• Demonstrated readiness to lead independent research.
• Demonstrated readiness to mentor trainees.
• Demonstrated readiness to collaborate across engineering and clinical teams.
• Demonstrated readiness to competitively pursue NIH R01-level funding.

Nice To Haves

• Experimental platform tuned for cross-species comparison to NHP and human datasets.

Responsibilities

• Designing and executing chronic in vivo and ex vivo experiments that quantify how stimulation parameters (waveform, frequency, pulse width, irradiance) map onto Ca²⁺ activation, neuropil versus somatic recruitment, neurovascular coupling, and epileptiform susceptibility across acute and chronic phases.
• Leading a chronic mouse visual cortex platform.
• Resolving cellular and circuit mechanisms by which intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) and next-generation photoresponsive diamond microelectrodes evoke specific percepts.
• Operating at the intersection of two grant-aligned research threads.
• Leading independent research.
• Mentoring trainees.
• Collaborating across engineering and clinical teams.
• Competitively pursuing NIH R01-level funding.

What This Job Offers

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