POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR

The Trapp Lab at the University of Iowa http://trapp.lab.uiowa.edu/  seeks a highly motivated postdoctoral research scholar to investigate electrophysiological mechanisms of brain stimulation and their effect on behavior. The ideal candidate has prior experience with multidisciplinary team science, electrophysiology and signal processing (especially intracranial local field potentials), and functional brain imaging, as well as an interest in utilizing these techniques to understand the effects of brain stimulation on clinical and behavioral outcomes.  We are looking to hire as soon as possible, although starting date is flexible throughout 2024.

The postdoctoral scholar will work as a part of a collaborative team including experts in psychiatry, neurology, neurosurgery, engineering, cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, neuroimaging and electrophysiology. The primary goal of our current research is to model the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation in the human brain with intracranial electrophysiology recordings.  This is a highly unique and rich dataset that is not available anywhere else in the United States.  Applicants will have an opportunity to contribute and learn from a team of experts, focused on an area of neuromodulation research that is rapidly gaining interest amongst the scientific community.  The scholar will be involved with leading the analytical efforts associated with an NIH-funded trial studying the electrophysiologic and neuroplastic effects of brain stimulation in epilepsy patients with intracranial electrodes implanted.  The scholar will have the opportunity to apply for independent grants and to participate in research dissemination, including manuscript writing and conference presentations.  Training in brain stimulation techniques including transcranial magnetic stimulation and direct electrical stimulation will be part of the fellowship with support and direct supervision from Dr. Trapp and other members of the Trapp Lab at the University of Iowa. The candidate will have access to dedicated state-of-the art computing (High Performance Computing cluster), imaging (3T and 7T research MRI scanners), and clinical research facilities, including research space at the university hospital with dedicated brain stimulation equipment and EEG equipment.  Dr. Trapp’s lab maintains active collaborations with both the Human Brain Research Lab and Neurosurgery Department at the University of Iowa (Intracranial LFP recordings, stereoEEG, Deep-brain stimulation), the Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Group in the Department of Neurology (which maintains the Iowa Lesion Patient registry, a one-of-a-kind resource with >1000 subjects with brain lesions, neuroimaging and neuropsychological testing), and the Neuroimaging and Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Laboratory.

The Trapp Lab conducts clinical and translational research to understand mechanisms of brain stimulation in adults, as well as clinical trials applying novel brain stimulation treatment protocols to subjects suffering from neuropsychiatric diseases including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, substance use disorders, mood disorders, epilepsy and traumatic brain injury.  The Trapp lab maintains the Interventional Psychiatry Patient Registry, a biomarker dataset of >100 subjects with mood disorders receiving brain stimulation-based treatment, including neuroimaging, autonomic function, electrophysiology, cognitive, personality and behavioral data.  We are located within the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and are a member of the Iowa Neuroimaging Consortium and Iowa Neuroscience Institute.

The University of Iowa offers competitive salary, excellent benefits, and a collegial professional environment.  The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has been recognized as one of the best hospitals in the United States and is Iowa's only comprehensive academic medical center and regional referral center.  It was recently name by Forbes magazine as the nation’s #1 employer in the health care industry, and the #7 employer overall.

Iowa City is an attractive and family-friendly college town with abundant local and world-class cultural, theatrical and musical events, top ranked schools, and outdoor recreational attractions. The Iowa City area is often ranked as one of the most livable communities in the nation (Livability.com). To learn more about our great community visit https://www.iowacityarea.com/cricnl-area/ 

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Work independently on research tasks with oversight by Dr. Trapp and collaborators in electrophysiology and neuroimaging

• Carry out electrophysiology signal processing, image processing and associated data analysis with support from study investigators

• Contribute to documentation of methods and procedures

• Prepare research results for publication in reports, manuscripts, grants and other media

• Present results in departmental seminars and professional meetings

• Develop code for processing pipelines associated with intracranial EEG or neuroimaging data

To apply for the position: 

Applicants should submit a letter of interest, Curriculum Vita, and the name and contact information for at least three references. 

Search Committee Contact Information: 

Dr. Nicholas Trapp MD, MS; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry; [email protected]

Applicable background checks will apply.  The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.  All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, religion, associational preference, status as a qualified individual with a disability or status as a protected veteran.

Education Requirement:

• Successful fellows will have a PhD or MD/PhD with focus in Biomedical Engineering, Neuroscience, Psychology, Cognitive Science or a related field

Required Qualifications:

• Existing track record of peer-reviewed scientific journal publications in the domain of human neuroscience

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 

• Excellent teamwork skills

• Proficiency in a statistical analysis and data processing environment such as R, ‪MATLAB, ‪or Python‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

• Demonstrated strong analytical and data analysis skills

• Able to work and learn independently and motivated to contribute to the wider research mission of the lab

• Well-organized and able to coordinate and interact with a team of other post-doctoral scholars, graduate students, research assistants, undergraduates, and intra- and extramural collaborators

Desired Qualifications:

• Graduate experience in processing, analyzing, and visualizing scalp or intracranial EEG data

• Graduate experience in processing brain imaging data, specifically functional MRI 

• Experience with transcranial magnetic stimulation or electrical stimulation techniques

• Experience with cognitive or behavioral assessment or behavioral tasks

• Strong background in coding or signal processing

To start the Online Application process for this position, click the "Apply for This Position" button located below the Contact Information.