Job Description

Special Instructions to Applicants: Please attach a cover letter and a curriculum vitae in the Supporting Documents section of the application.

About George R. Brown School of Engineering

The George R. Brown School of Engineering ranks among the top 20 undergraduate engineering programs (US News & World Report) and is strongly committed to nurturing the aspirations of faculty, staff, and students in an inclusive environment.

We seek greater representation of women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans in disciplines in which they have historically been underrepresented; to attract international students from a wider range of countries and backgrounds; to accelerate progress in building a faculty and staff who are diverse in background and thought, and we support an inclusive environment that fosters interaction and understanding within our diverse community.

Position Summary

The Integrative Neural Interface Laboratory in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Rice Neuroengineering Initiative at Rice University has an open postdoctoral associate position, to be advised by Dr. Lan Luan. The position will have a flexible start date and is available immediately. The selected candidate will be expected to lead research in applying ultra-flexible electrodes for visual and motor prosthetics. The interdisciplinary research includes further development of bi-directional ultra-flexible electrodes for large animal models and humans and their application in elucidating visual pathways and motor control in rodent models. The key technical pillars include in vivo large-scale electrophysiology and electrical stimulations using ultra-flexible indwelling electrodes, two-photon imaging, and behavioral paradigms. The scientific interest is in the plasticity of visual pathways after deprivation of input and motor control after ischemic stroke.

Candidates will benefit from the unique technical capabilities of the lab centered on large-scale, long-term stable neural recording, encoding and decoding, modulation, and integration with various optical techniques, which are reflected in our recent publications ( Cell Reports (2024) , Cell Reports (2023) , Nature BME (2022) , Biomaterials (2022) , Neuron(2020) , Science Advances (2020) , Neuron(2019)). The Rice Neuroengineering Initiative also provides unparalleled learning and collaborative environments for trainees, including neuroengineering seminar serials, annual conferences, and numerous trainee events.

Successful applicants are expected to bridge the development of state-of-the-art neurotechnology with application in neuroscience and have a strong background in one or more of the following areas: in vivo electrophysiology; in vivo imaging; neural electrode technology; motor and visual neuroscience; and neuropathology. Candidates in quantitative fields (e.g. Physics and other branches of engineering) with strong instrumentation and microfabrication knowledge without prior experience in neuroengineering or neuroscience will also be considered and are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Luan ( lan.luan@rice.edu ). The candidate should have strong written and oral communication skills, evidenced by their previous publications and presentations. As a key senior team member, the candidate will also be expected to aid in supervising junior lab members and preparing research proposals. The candidate will be mentored in application for competitive internal and external postdoctoral fellowships.

This position is a one-year term-limited position funded by a grant, soft and/or restricted funds. Continued employment is contingent on the renewal of funding.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or other doctoral degree in neuroscience, biological science, engineering, or other quantitative fields (e.g. Physics and other branches of engineering)
• No experience required

Skills Required

• Strong instrumentation and microfabrication knowledge
• Ability to work independently and in team environments
• Familiarity with in vivo neuro-electrophysiology and optical methods to investigate the brain or other nervous systems
• Proficiency in (or ability to learn) neural data acquisition and processing, rodent survival surgery, and behavioral paradigms, and immunohistology
• Comprehension of basic neurophysiology to be able to understand or learn neuronal and non-neuronal activity in normal and interrupted states
• Proficient and comprehensive knowledge of large-scale data management
• Strong publication record and demonstrated research impact

Essential Functions

• Investigate the neural and behavioral responses of microstimulation in rodent models
• Contribute to electrode neurotechnology development by device testing in vitro and in vivo
• Contribute to other decoding and encoding studies in the visual or motor system
• Key equipment maintenance
• Mentors and trains junior research team members, such as PhD students, master students, and undergraduates
• Assists with proposal development to obtain research funding from agencies

Rice University HR | Benefits

Rice Mission and Values

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with commitment to diversity at all levels and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status.

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