Postdoctoral Scholar - Research Associate

A postdoctoral research associate position is available in the Dewey Lab at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine (https://sites.usc.edu/deweylab/ ). Our lab conducts research into the mechanisms underlying normal and impaired hearing using wild-type and mutant mouse models. Research methods include in vivo acoustic measurements, electrophysiology, and optical techniques, as well as tissue collection and immunohistochemistry of inner ear structures. This NIH-funded position will specifically use optical coherence tomography to image and measure sound-evoked vibrations from within the mouse cochlea, with the overarching goal of understanding how the cochlear outer hair cells produce mechanical amplification, and how this amplification process leads to emission of sound from the ear.

The lab is part of a multidisciplinary auditory research group within the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and is affiliated with both the Hearing Communication Neuroscience (HCN) graduate program and the Neuroscience graduate program (NGP). Postdoctoral research associates are encouraged to apply to the HCN program, which is supported by an NIH training grant and offers training in writing and submitting an NRSA proposal (see https://sites.usc.edu/hcn/ for details). There are ongoing opportunities at the department, program, and school-wide level for training in teaching and pedagogy, scientific communication skills, grantsmanship, mentorship, and a wide variety of research techniques.

Qualifications:

Qualified applicants will have a PhD or equivalent degree in hearing science, neuroscience, biology, or related disciplines, with the most recent degree awarded in the last five years. Applicants should have excellent written and oral communication skills, a demonstrated record of publications, programming experience (ideally in MATLAB or Python), and the ability to both operate independently and collaborate well with others. Ideal candidates will have a strong interest in cochlear mechanics or physiology, experience with signal processing, and experience working with mice or other laboratory rodents.

To Apply:

Please submit (1) a CV, (2) a cover letter detailing your research interests, qualifications, and career goals, and (3) contact information for three professional references. E-mail inquiries are also welcome to [email protected] .

The annual base salary range for this position is $70,000.08 - $70,000.08. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Minimum Education: PhD, MD, or equivalent doctorate within the last five years Minimum Experience: 0-1 years Minimum Field of Expertise: Advanced knowledge of hearing science, neuroscience, biology, biomedical engineering, otolaryngology, or related discipline, with demonstrated abilities in the areas of data collection, analysis, and manuscript preparation/publication.