Postdoctoral Research Scholar - Roy J. Carver Biomedical Engineering

Roy J. Carver Biomedical Engineering (https://engineering.uiowa.edu/bme) at the University of Iowa (https://uiowa.edu/) seeks a highly motivated postdoctoral research scholar to join Dr. Kim Blackwell’s research group investigating mechanisms of neuronal plasticity. Pay is commensurate with experience. The appointment is full-time for up to 5 years. This is an immediate opening and applications will be considered until a successful candidate is identified. 

The successful candidate will contribute to NIH supported, cutting-edge research on synaptic plasticity in the basal ganglia, by performing experiments using electrophysiological and optogenetic methods in brain slices of mouse models. The successful candidate will develop working hypotheses that can be tested by electrophysiological and optogenetic approaches, analyze electrophysiology data, judge the validity of data obtained from experimental procedures, design new experiments, write journal articles and give presentations at scientific conferences. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work closely with faculty, staff, and students of the biomedical engineering department, led by Dr. Blackwell, and the Iowa Neuroscience Institute, led by Dr. Ted Abel. The INI creates synergy within the broad neuroscience community across the university, leading to transformative research and an intellectually stimulating environment to understand how the nervous system mediates behavior and how this goes awry in neurodevelopmental, psychiatric and neurological disorders.

The University of Iowa is one of the nation's top public research universities and is known around the world for its balanced commitment to the arts, sciences, and humanities. The University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, a community built around higher education, with vibrant cultural opportunities and a long history of international connections, leadership, and accomplishment. Iowa City offers the safe, friendly quality of life for which the Midwest is known. Information regarding some of the resources that the University of Iowa and the local area provide can be found at (https://worklife.uiowa.edu).

Applicants are required to submit a letter of interest, resume or cv, and a list of at least three references.

Education Requirement:

• Ph.D. in a relevant science or engineering field (e.g., biomedical engineering, psychology, neuroscience) and at least one publication in a reputable journal.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience in whole cell, patch clamp electrophysiology in brain slices

Desirable Qualifications:

• Experience in synaptic plasticity experiments such as LTP, LTD
• Expertise in electrophysiology data acquisition and analysis using programs such as Patchmaster