The Junior Specialist will work in a Biomedical Engineering / Neurology research program that develops novel medical imaging techniques to understand brain physiology and damage in patients at risk of stroke and dementia. This position is funded by the NIH through a consortium grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

The candidate will play a key role in analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to evaluate changes in brain blood flow and oxygenation in patients at risk of stroke and dementia. For instance, the applicant will perform regional brain analysis to understand how cerebral blood flow changes may predict growth of white matter lesions and changes in cognition in brain aging. Candidates should have excellent communication skills and will interact frequently with the Principal Investigator, lab members and PhD students, and researchers of the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Ideal applicants are highly organized, independent, and engaged in our research during weekly team meetings and journal club discussions. For more information visit our lab website; https://fanlab.engineering.ucdavis.edu/.

Research (90%):
The Junior Specialist will learn cutting-edge imaging methods and implement them in our study analyses. For these responsibilities, familiarity with Linux / Unix systems and coding skills (MATLAB, R, Python) are a bonus. The Junior Specialist will be involved in all aspects of study design, from planning experiments, organization and analysis of imaging data, communicating results, and summarizing study findings and impact.

Professional Competence (5%):
Candidates will provide high-quality data analysis that will result in meaningful, peer-reviewed publications (e.g. in journals such as “Stroke” or “Alzheimer’s and Dementia”). We encourage the Junior Specialist to read recent literature and develop new hypotheses, and they will have opportunities to present research findings at local and broader scientific conferences. This full-time position provides in-depth research training in medical imaging, and is excellent preparation for application to future graduate or medical studies.

University and Public Service (5% Effort)
The Junior Specialist may be expected to provide mentorship to undergraduate research assistants that rotate through the lab. They will be expected to participate and contribute to laboratory and group meetings, committee service, and other activities, as applicable.