Postdoctoral Fellow

Position Details

Position Information

Recruitment/Posting Title	Postdoctoral Fellow
Job Category	Staff & Executive - Research Support (Laboratory/Non-Laboratory)
Department	RWJ-Neurosurgery-Meb
Overview	New Jersey’s academic health center, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) takes an integrated approach to educating students, providing clinical care, and conducting research, all with the goal of improving human health. Aligned with Rutgers University–New Brunswick and collaborating university wide, RBHS includes eight schools, a behavioral health network, and five centers and institutes that focus on cancer treatment and research, neuroscience, advanced biotechnology and medicine, environmental and occupational health, and health care policy and aging research. Our faculty are teachers, clinicians, and scientists with unparalleled experience who advance medical innovation and provide patient care informed by the latest research findings. We offer an outstanding education in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, nursing, biomedical research, and the full spectrum of allied health careers. Our clinical and academic facilities are located throughout the state—at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, including Piscataway; and at locations in Newark, Scotch Plains, Somerset, Stratford, and other locations. Clinical partners include Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, Newark’s University Hospital in Newark, and other affiliates. Through this community of healers, scientists, and scholars, Rutgers is equipped as never before to transform lives.
Posting Summary	Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey invites applications for a postdoctoral fellow position at the Neurosurgery Department, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. A postdoctoral fellow position is available in the lab of Dr. Detlev Boison. The Boison lab has a passion for translational research and is working towards finding cures for intractable conditions that cause human suffrage and death. The lab seeks to translate fundamental mechanisms of biochemistry and energy metabolism into novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of neurological conditions. A major research effort is the development of metabolism-based therapies that enable disease modification in epilepsy and after traumatic brain injury. The postdoctoral fellow will identify and test therapeutic strategies for epilepsy prevention based on the innovative use of already FDA approved drugs and the use of novel small molecule compounds that target components of the adenosinergic system. This specific fellowship opportunity seeks a postdoctoral research fellow who is interested in conducting molecular, cellular and behavioral neuroscience research with a focus on epilepsy and traumatic brain injury. The five-year funded program aims to prepare scientists for a career in clinical research within the specialty area of neurotherapeutics and pharmacology. Among the key duties of this position are the following: Lead a project investigating the efficacy of novel small molecule inhibitors/ re-purposing FDA approved drugs for epilepsy prevention. The goal is to identify and investigate the underlying molecular/cellular mechanisms of promising translational therapeutics for epilepsy prevention. Assist in ongoing research endeavors and projects on adenosine-based therapeutics for seizure termination and prevention of disease progression. Required skills include histological techniques, molecular techniques (western blotting, RT-PCR), fluorescence/confocal imaging, the assessment of seizures and behavioral outcomes. Neuropharmacology background is an added bonus. Work on various aspects of research projects from inception (study formulation, grant-writing, etc.) through dissemination (conference presentation and manuscript publication). Mentored training opportunities are individually tailored to achieve specific goals considering each fellow’s prior background and interests. Fellows are offered opportunities to collaborate with basic research scientists and clinicians.
Position Status	Full Time
Hours Per Week
Daily Work Shift	Day
Work Arrangement
FLSA	Exempt
Grade	99S
Position Salary
Annual Minimum Salary
Annual Mid Range Salary
Annual Maximum Salary
Standard Hours	37.50
Union Description	Non-Union
Payroll Designation	PeopleSoft
Benefits	Rutgers offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees. For details, please go to http://uhr.rutgers.edu/benefits/benefits-overview . Rutgers also offers a benefit program to eligible full-time postdoctoral fellow students. For details, please go to https://finance.rutgers.edu/healthcare-risk/insurance/postdoctoral-health-insurance.
COVID-19 Immunization Requirement	Under Policy 60.1.35 , Rutgers University requires all prospective employees to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated and have received a booster (where eligible) against COVID-19 prior to commencement of employment, unless the University has granted the individual a medical or religious exemption. Prospective employees who are not eligible for a booster at the time of an offer of employment must provide proof they have received a booster within two weeks (14 calendar days) of eligibility . Based on current guidance, individuals are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks after receiving the final dose of any COVID-19 vaccine authorized or approved for use in the United States by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Eligibility for a booster against COVID-19 varies and is explained on the University’s web site located at https://coronavirus.rutgers.edu/covid-19-vaccine . Failure to provide proof of primary vaccination and booster will result in rescission of a prospective employee’s offer of employment and/or disciplinary action up to and including termination.
Seniority Unit
Terms of Appointment	Temporary Staff Appointment - Salaried 12 Month
Position Pension Eligibility	None

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience	PhD degree in neuroscience, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, or a closely related field.
Certifications/Licenses
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities	Strong neurophysiology skills, with solid EEG experience, particularly experience using experimental seizure/epilepsy models. Ability to independently perform experiments, data processing/analysis. Excellent time-management, written and oral communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications	Research experience in molecular and histological techniques. History of publication and presentation of original research. Interests and/or experience in the following areas: epilepsy, brain injury, purinergic signaling.
Equipment Utilized
Physical Demands and Work Environment	Standing, sitting, walking, talking and hearing. Experience working in a fast paced environment. No special vision requirements. Lifting up to 25lbs. Open office environment. Moderate noise and foot traffic. Rutgers University is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse, cooperative work environment.
Special Conditions

Posting Details

Posting Number	22ST2487
Posting Open Date
Special Instructions to Applicants
Regional Campus	Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS)
Home Location Campus	Downtown New Brunswick
City	New Brunswick
State	NJ
Location Details

Pre-employment Screenings

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of all pre-employment screenings.

Infection Control and Safety

This position is subject to all Rutgers University policies, including TB surveillance and other infection control and safety policies. Please review the Tuberculosis Surveillance Policy for additional information.

Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

It is university policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, creed, color, national origin, age, ancestry, nationality, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability status, liability for military service, protected veteran status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), or any other category protected by law. As an institution, we value diversity of background and opinion, and prohibit discrimination or harassment on the basis of any legally protected class in the areas of hiring, recruitment, promotion, transfer, demotion, training, compensation, pay, fringe benefits, layoff, termination or any other terms and conditions of employment. For additional information please see the Non-Discrimination Statement at the following web address: http://uhr.rutgers.edu/non-discrimination-statement