Research Associate, Department of Biomedical Engineering

University of Virginia • VA

85d • $62,000 - $68,000

About The Position

A Postdoctoral Research Associate position in cardiac MRI is available in the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Virginia (UVA) in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Research Associate will focus on preclinical MRI applied in mouse models of heart disease. Research will include the application of cardiac MRI to test mechanistic and therapeutic hypotheses in disease models, and/or the development of new MRI methods (pulse sequences and image reconstruction techniques). Current and planned areas of hypothesis-driven research are in obesity-related metabolic heart disease. The development of novel MRI methods would be in the context of imaging myocardial perfusion, oxidative stress and cardiovascular function, and would include accelerated acquisition and reconstruction methods and methods for reducing motion-related artifacts due to breathing. The successful candidate will work in the lab of Professor Frederick H. Epstein, PhD, Commonwealth Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Radiology and Medical Imaging, and will collaborate with Drs. Matthew Wolf, M.D. and Amit Patel, M.D., both of whom are academic cardiologists with expertise in cardiac MRI and heart failure. Postdoctoral employment is temporary and is normally limited to an individual who has been awarded a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate within the previous five years and who will be involved in full-time research or scholarship at the University. Employment as a Postdoctoral Research Associate is viewed as training and is preparatory for a full-time academic or research career, is supervised by a senior scholar, and allows the appointee to publish the results of his/her research or scholarship during the training period.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or equivalent degree in biomedical engineering or a related field, or an M.D. degree with research experience.
• Experience in preclinical imaging.
• Skills in handling mice, histology, and tissue analysis.
• Expertise in the pathophysiology of heart disease.
• Proficiency in C, C++, MATLAB, and Python programming.
• Experience with MRI physics and pulse sequence programming (preferably on Bruker systems).
• Good communication skills, both written and oral.

Responsibilities

• Focus on preclinical MRI applied in mouse models of heart disease.
• Apply cardiac MRI to test mechanistic and therapeutic hypotheses in disease models.
• Develop new MRI methods including pulse sequences and image reconstruction techniques.
• Conduct research in obesity-related metabolic heart disease.
• Work on imaging myocardial perfusion, oxidative stress, and cardiovascular function.
• Implement accelerated acquisition and reconstruction methods.
• Reduce motion-related artifacts due to breathing.

Benefits

• Salary range of $62,000–$68,000, commensurate with education and experience.
• Consistent with NIH guidelines for postdocs.
• Exempt-level, benefited position.

What This Job Offers

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