Clinical Research Scientist

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has spent more than a half-century conducting research into catastrophic diseases in children, including cancer, hematological disorders, and various infections (e.g., pandemic viruses and HIV). St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is dedicated to researching and treating pediatric malignancies. The mission of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric cancer, the leading cause of disease-related death in children. The St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center supports several multidisciplinary research programs organized with the intent of translating basic science discoveries into curative therapies for children with cancer while minimizing long-term side effects.

The Multimodal Functional Brain Imaging and Neuromodulation Research Program directed by Dr. Ranganatha Sitaram, under the Department of Radiology in St. Jude is developing a novel research program to acquire cognitive and psychosocial data on childhood catastrophic diseases (e.g., cancer, sickle cell disease, neuromuscular and developmental disorders) for characterizing and predicting the effect of the childhood diseases and their treatment on sensory, perceptual, cognitive and emotional aspects of brain function and behavior, and for developing interventions with neuromodulation and neurostimulation techniques to reverse the adverse cognitive effect of pediatric cancer. This new program would heavily involve the application of multimodal functional brain imaging, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), electro/magnetoencephalography (EEG/MEG), and neuromodulation techniques, such as low intensity focused ultrasound stimulation (FUS), closed-loop fMRI, EEG, and fNIRS neurofeedback, combined with novel experimental paradigms. In addition, novel computational neuroscience and artificial intelligence methods, including functional and effective connectivity, causality modeling, real-time imaging, brain-computer interfaces, and neurofeedback, would be key tools for scientific investigation and translational intervention in this new research program.

We are looking for a talented and motivated research scientist to fill the position of Neuromodulation Research Scientist. The candidate is expected to have completed a PhD or equivalent in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, biomedical sciences, electronic/electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, computer science, psychology, or related areas. In addition, the candidate should have completed a post-doctoral position for at least two years. Candidates with prior experience and published literature in neuromodulation and neurostimulation (e.g., FUS, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), closed-loop neurofeedback), will be highly preferred. Other requirements include demonstrated expertise and ability to conduct experimental work on humans or animal models, analytical and computational techniques skills, and excellent written and spoken communication skills. Candidates demonstrating peer-reviewed journal publications, patents, and conference presentations are preferred.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead clinical research design and implementation activities (e.g., experimental design review; identification of appropriate research procedures/methodologies QC procedures finalization; design and testing of data collection instruments; project-specific protocol compliance oversight).
• Assist with the management of large, multidisciplinary research operations and the instruction of research staff.
• Oversee execution of multiple concurrent projects/studies.
• Oversee/coordinate engagement with study participants and related outcomes (e.g., interviewer scripts, informed consent, data entry, procurement of medical record/specimens).
• Coordinate communication with principal investigators across multiple sites to anticipate, clarify, and address needs for efficient conduct of research.
• Present/publish results, insights, and outcomes both internally and externally to multi-disciplinary audiences.
• Provide ongoing instruction and guidance to staff and train as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned to meet the goals and objectives of the department and institution.
• Maintains regular and predictable attendance.

Minimum Education and/or Training:

• MD or PhD in relevant scientific field (neuroscience, biomedical engineering, biomedical sciences, electronic/electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, computer science, psychology, or related areas) required.

Minimum Experience:

• Minimum Requirement: 2+ prior relevant and producti