UNIV - Research Associate - College of Health Professions, Department of Health Sciences and Research

Medical University of South Carolina

About The Position

MUSC’s College of Health Professions seeks a highly motivated Research Associate to join a multidisciplinary neuroimaging research team of faculty investigators, clinicians, data scientists, trainees, and collaborators. The team conducts NIH-funded research on the early detection, prediction, and characterization of neurodegenerative diseases and aging-related brain changes using advanced diffusion MRI, fMRI, MR spectroscopy, and PET imaging. The Research Associate will oversee neuroimaging data acquisition and quality control, manage data sharing and curation, conduct image analyses, and contribute to manuscripts and grant submissions. Projects include research on brain aging and preclinical Alzheimer’s disease; structural and functional changes following non-invasive brain stimulation for Mild Cognitive Impairment; and related collaborations involving diffusion MRI, therapy response, olfaction, digital health outcomes, and blood-based Alzheimer’s biomarkers.

Requirements

Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work within a multidisciplinary scientific team.
Applications must include a cover letter addressing the job requirements and a resume/CV with the names of at least three professional references.
Ability to perform job functions in upright and seated positions; walk or be mobile; climb stairs infrequently; work indoors and in cold temperature extremes; bend and twist at the waist; perform pinching and repetitive hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder movements; use both hands, arms, and legs; reach in all directions; and maintain finger dexterity and tactile and olfactory sensory functions.
Ability to lift and carry up to 15 pounds, including from floor level to 72 inches and over a distance of five floors and to outlying buildings; ability to push or pull objects up to 15 pounds.
Ability to maintain corrected 20/40 vision, near and distance vision, color discrimination, depth perception, peripheral vision, and corrected hearing acuity.
Ability to perform gross motor functions with frequent fine motor movements.
Ability to be physically qualified for respirator use initially and annually.
Ability to work alone in isolated areas such as darkrooms.
Ability to obtain and maintain a valid driver’s license.
Computer literacy.
Ability to work rotating shifts and overtime as required.
Ability to learn and use new processes, tools, and equipment as required.

Nice To Haves

Master’s or doctoral degree in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, computer science, biostatistics, epidemiology, data science, psychology, or a related field.
Two or more years of research experience in neuroimaging.
Intermediate-to-advanced proficiency with Python, R, MATLAB, or similar programming languages.
Published scholarship or work products demonstrating skills relevant to the role.
Experience with diffusion MRI, functional MRI, structural MRI, or PET data.
Experience with neuroimaging software such as FreeSurfer, FSL, SPM, ANTs, AFNI, MRtrix, or related tools.
Experience managing datasets from multicenter studies such as ADNI, NACC, UK Biobank, All of Us, or similar cohorts.
Experience with statistical analysis tools such as SPSS or R.
Experience with machine learning, artificial intelligence, predictive modeling, or large-scale data analytics.
Familiarity with high-performance computing environments or containerized workflows.
Experience contributing to successful grant applications.

Responsibilities

Oversee and support acquisition of multimodal neuroimaging data, including diffusion MRI, fMRI, MR spectroscopy, and PET, in accordance with study protocols and standardized procedures.
Monitor imaging acquisition and conduct quality assurance and quality control to identify artifacts, protocol deviations, and other data quality concerns.
Independently conduct, document, and troubleshoot neuroimaging analyses using established software, pipelines, and scientific programming tools.
Develop, adapt, and implement reproducible scripts and workflows for image preprocessing, processing, quality control, statistical analysis, and visualization.
Document analytic methods, processing decisions, quality-control procedures, and results to support scientific rigor and reproducibility.
Conduct preliminary quantitative analyses integrating neuroimaging with cognitive, clinical, behavioral, biomarker, and other research data.
Evaluate emerging neuroimaging and computational methods and assist with implementing them when appropriate.
Organize, curate, store, and document multimodal neuroimaging data and associated research datasets.
Maintain standardized data structures, naming conventions, metadata, and documentation for efficient data use, reproducibility, and long-term curation.
Develop and maintain automated, reproducible workflows for image processing, quality control, data management, and analysis.
Manage analytic code, processing pipelines, version control, and documentation across research projects.
Coordinate data transfer and sharing among investigators, collaborators, repositories, and approved research partners in accordance with study and institutional requirements.
Assist in preparing, curating, and documenting datasets for sharing, archiving, and submission to external repositories.
Support use of computing environments and secure research data storage systems.
Monitor data completeness, integrity, and processing status, and identify and resolve data-related issues.
Serve as a technical and scientific resource in neuroimaging methods, image processing, and quantitative analysis for investigators, staff, and trainees.
Develop and refine imaging protocols, analytic approaches, and study procedures.
Identify technical and analytic challenges, troubleshoot problems, and recommend solutions in consultation with investigators.
Train and guide staff and trainees in neuroimaging acquisition, quality control, data processing, programming, and reproducible research practices.
Lead imaging-focused research and project meetings among investigators and trainees.
Collaborate with investigators and team members on scientific interpretation and dissemination of research findings.
Contribute to peer-reviewed manuscripts, conference abstracts, scientific presentations, and other research products.
Contribute to NIH and other grant applications by developing neuroimaging methods and analytic plans, preparing preliminary data, and generating figures and supporting materials.
Prepare and document neuroimaging methods, analytic approaches, results, figures, and tables for manuscripts and presentations.
Maintain documentation needed to reproduce and appropriately share published analyses.