Postgraduate Research Associate — Department of Neurology, Yale SOM

Title: Postgraduate Research Associate

Department and School: Department of Neurology, Yale SOM

Anticipated Appointment Dates: June 2026 – July 2027 (2-year appointment preferred)

Email/Website: [email protected]  & https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/lindsay-mcalpine/

Yale’s department of neurology is dedicated to translation of basic research findings to the clinical domain and actively promotes productive interactions between clinicians and basic scientists and provides resources for collaborative translational studies. Members of the faculty include world-renowned leaders in their fields of research who continue significantly to enhance the understanding of the nervous system and its disorders.

The McAlpine Lab is looking for a talented and highly motivated recent college graduate to join us as a postgraduate research associate in the Yale Division of Neurological Infections and Global Neurology. Our Lab’s goal is to understand the pathogenesis of Long COVID in the nervous system using several modalities. We currently use an advanced neuroimaging approach (including structural and vascular MRI imaging), blood and spinal fluid analyses, and neuropsychological testing to better understand how Long COVID affects the brain and the blood-brain barrier.

Trainees have the opportunity to work one-on-one with patients and to study the clinical neuropsychiatric manifestations of Long COVID, critically review the current scientific literature, and participate in local and national conferences and symposia on neurologic disease. Trainees will be involved in ongoing clinical research projects and clinical trials, including data collection and analysis, abstract and manuscript preparation.

Trainees work with graduate students, staff scientists, and other research associates both within our lab, The COVID Mind Study at Yale, and Yale’s larger Magnetic Resonance Research Center. Trainees have exposure to the full spectrum of clinical imaging research, including participant recruitment and screening, consenting, blood draw and biosample processing, administration of neuropsychological tasks and scanning sessions, collecting data, and utilization of software for image processing and analysis. Trainees will also assist with managing the biorepository database in RedCap and participant enrollment in Oncore. Research associates will gain extensive clinical experience by interacting with participants and working collaboratively with the research team.

The postgraduate will be mentored by Dr. Lindsay McAlpine who has an excellent mentoring track record. The postgraduate will have the opportunity to learn from a variety of professionals. Efforts will be made to tailor the experience to the postgraduate’s goals and interests. The ultimate goal is to create a rewarding experience.

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably with demonstrated interest in the neurosciences
• Strong initiative and ability to problem-solve independently and learn new software programs
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, including an ability to communicate warmly and sensitively with research participants and their families
• Ability to work as part of a team and seek direction/assistance when needed
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Sustain a robust level of research activity with professional judgment and accountability
• Highly self-motivated, independent, and reliable
• Excellent working knowledge of the English language, including scientific terminology
• A strong quantitative background, including prior exposure/coursework in statistical or coding software, such as RStudio, Git/Github, Matlab, Stata, bash/tcsh, Python, JavaScript or Visual Basic, is preferred, but not required

• This is a 1-year position, preferably with a 1-year renewal.
• Please send CV or resume and contact information for 2-3 references to [email protected]
• Please enter “Postgraduate” in subject line of e-mail