Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuroimaging, Aging and Neurodegeneration

The Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (FTDC), Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) and Penn Image Computing Science Laboratory (PICSL) are rapidly growing and seeking postdoctoral fellowship candidates for several newly created postdoctoral positions. Together, the FTDC, ADRC, and PICSL have a rich history of more than 25 years collaborating on clinical-translational research that benefits from clinical and pathological expertise in aging and neurodegeneration combined with engineering expertise in state-of-the-art software tool development that includes Advanced Normalization Tools (ANTs), ITK-SNAP, and ASHS.

Examples, of current research projects range from MR acquisition to clinical research including:

• High-field 7T pulse sequence development for imaging cortical layers of in vivo and post-mortem human brain.
• Novel diffusion acquisition approaches at 3T and 7T MRI and implementation of novel diffusion tractography analysis pipelines.
• Whole hemisphere and medial temporal lobe 7T and 9.4T post-mortem imaging.
• Digital histology approaches including deep learning and machine learning to quantify molecular burden of neurodegenerative proteinopathies.
• Imaging-pathological correlations relating in vivo, post-mortem, and histology to neurodegeneration.
• Graph theoretic and signal network analyses of structural T1 (sMRI), Diffusion MRI (dMRI), and resting state functional MRI (fMRI).
• State-of-the art arterial spin labelling (ASL) acquisition and signal processing.
• Imaging-genomics analyses relating sMRI, dMRI, and fMRI to deep genomic datasets including SNP genotype, DNA methylation, and RNA transcriptomic arrays.
• PET imaging of neurodegenerative proteins (e.g., amyloid, tau) and associated pathways (e.g., neuroinflammation, metabolism).
• Hypothesis-driven and data-driven multimodal analyses of MRI, PET, neuropathological, biofluid biomarker, and clinical datasets to address clinical-translation research questions.

Housed in adjacent laboratories, the FTDC, ADRC, and PICSL environment is highly interdisciplinary with experts in biomarkers and cognitive neuroscience (Murray Grossman and David Wolk), bioinformatics (Corey McMillan), neuropathology (David Irwin), image acquisition (Dylan Tisdall and John Detre), and image processing (James Gee, Paul Yushkevich, Sandhitsu Das). We also work very closely with associated research centers at the University of Pennsylvania including the Institute on Aging (IoA), Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (CNDR), Penn Neurodegeneration of Genomics Center (PNGC), Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT), Neuroscience Graduate Group (NGG), and many others.

We are currently seeking several candidates who have a PhD (or are near completion) in a relevant area (e.g., neuroscience, neurology, bioengineering, data science, biostatistics, etc). Candidates should have a strong interest or desire in using one of the above research areas to either answer fundamental questions about aging and neurodegeneration or develop state-of-the-art neuroimaging methods for the broader community. Please address any questions to Dr. Corey McMillan ~~~.

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Diversity Statement

The FTDC, ADRC, and PICSL adhere to a Penn policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class. We particularly encourage applications from individuals who identify as being from under-represented backgrounds.

Requirements:

• A PhD, or nearly completed degree, in a relevant area (e.g., neuroscience, neurology, bioengineering, data science, biostatistics, etc).
• A strong interest and desire in using one of the above research areas to either answer fundamental questions about aging and neurodegeneration or develop state-of-the-art neuroimaging methods for the broader community.