Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Advanced MR Spectroscopy

The research group led by Dr. Georg Oetlzschner at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine invites applications for a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship. The fellow will work on various NIH-funded research projects focused on the development novel data processing and analysis methods for in-vivo MR spectroscopy (MRS) and their application in the human brain. The goals of this work are: (i) to improve the reliability and reproducibility of in-vivo MRS metabolite concentration estimation; (ii) to demonstrate their utility as biomarkers of function and disease; (iii) to disseminate new methods to other researchers worldwide through our collaborative open-source MRS analysis software platform "Osprey".

Key Responsibilities:

The candidate will primarily develop and apply novel methods for modeling in-vivo MRS data:

- - Advance our newly-developed general linear-combination model.

- - Develop appropriate quantitative metrics to evaluate which model is the best one (quantitative information criteria).

- - Develop new sampling methods (based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods) to solve optimization problems and characterize the uncertainty of the modeling.

- - Acquire MRS data in healthy volunteers, as well as patients with brain tumors and other disorders.

- - Integrate the newly-developed methods for dissemination via the "Osprey" platforms.

- - Contribute to dissemination, maintenance, and user support of the "Osprey" platform.

Beyond this, there will be opportunities to pursue goals such as:

- - Develop new MRS/MRI pulse sequences.

- - Develop new analysis methods to parametrize and model MRS artefacts such as lipid contamination (and/or eliminate).

- - Develop deep-learning-based methods for processing and analysis.

- - Develop novel quantification routines specifically suitable for pediatric and/or aging cohorts.

The candidate is expected to:

- - Work independently and as a constructive part of a large team of interdisciplinary researchers.

- - Follow all key principles of responsible and reproducible research.

- - Draft and submit manuscripts for publication in field-leading peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Magnetic Resonance in Medicine).

- - Draft and submit abstracts to field-leading annual society meetings (e.g., ISMRM).

Key Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Neuroscience, or a related field.
• Experience with signal processing, data modelling, non-linear optimization, and MR physics.
• Strong programming skills in MATLAB, Python, R, C++, and/or similar.
• Experience working with MRS data is desirable, but not strictly necessary.
• Ability to work independently as well as in a collaborative research environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Hands-on experience with acquiring and analyzing in-vivo MRS data.
• Knowledge in solving complex optimization problems.
• Knowledge of statistical analysis methods for biomedical research.
• Experience with reproducible research, open science practices, version control (OSF, Git, Docker, Jupyter, R Markdown etc.
• Strong publication record in relevant fields such as MRI/MRS, NMR spectroscopy, clinical neuroimaging, etc.

Interested candidates should submit the following documents:

• A detailed CV.
• A cover letter describing your relevant research experience and career goals.
• Contact information for three professional references.

Salary Range

The referenced salary range represents the minimum and maximum salaries for this position and is based on Johns Hopkins University's good faith belief at the time of posting. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. The actual compensation offered to the selected candidate may vary and will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which may include the successful candidate's geographic location, skills, work experience, internal equity, market conditions, education/training and other factors, as reasonably determined by the University.

Total Rewards

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Equal Opportunity Employer

The Johns Hopkins University is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, the university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or other legally protected characteristic. The university is committed to providing qualified individuals access to all academic and employment programs, benefits and activities on the basis of demonstrated ability, performance and merit without regard to personal factors that are irrelevant to the program involved.

Pre-Employment Information

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Background Checks

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check including education verification.

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Vaccine Requirements

Johns Hopkins University strongly encourages, but no longer requires, at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine does not apply to positions located in the State of Florida. We still require all faculty, staff, and students to receive the seasonal flu vaccine. Exceptions to the COVID and flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry. This change does not apply to the School of Medicine (SOM). SOM hires must be fully vaccinated with an FDA COVID-19 vaccination and provide proof of vaccination status. For additional information, applicants for SOM positions should visit https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/ and all other JHU applicants should visit https://covidinfo.jhu.edu/health-safety/covid-vaccination-information/.

The following additional vaccine requirements may apply, depending upon your campus. Please contact the hiring department for more information. The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.