Postdoctoral Scientist - Gulati Lab - Center for Neural Science & Medicine

Principal Investigator, Tanuj Gulati, PhD is looking for a Postdoctoral Scientist to join the team!

When the work you do every single day has a crucial impact on the lives of others, every effort, every detail, and every second matters. This shared culture of happiness, passion, and dedication pulses through Cedars-Sinai, and it’s just one of the many reasons why we rank as one of the top hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

The Gulati Laboratory is a systems neuroscience laboratory interested in understanding the motor basis of behavior. The lab uses cortical and spinal electrophysiology to understand the neural basis of motor control and learning, as well as sleep-related consolidation of a motor skill.

The Gulati Lab is also investigating novel neuroengineering strategies for repair and functional recovery after brain injury (stroke) and spinal cord injury that utilize development of spinal/cortical motor prostheses, brain machine interfaces and neurorobotics. To learn more, please visit: Gulati Lab | Cedars-Sinai (cedars-sinai.org).

Are you ready to be a part of breakthrough research?

Under the guidance and mentorship of Dr. Tanuj Gulati in the Center for Neural Science and Medicine (CNSM) within the Department of Biomedical Sciences (BMS), and working closely with other postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, undergraduate students, research associates, and collaborators, the postdoctoral fellow will be engaged in cutting-edge research with the goal of developing a mechanistic understanding of stroke recovery and developing rehabilitation therapies in preclinical rodent stroke models. The postdoctoral scholar will be responsible for performing rodent procedures such as rodent stroke surgeries, viral injections, neural implant procedures (for recording and stimulating neural activity). The postdoctoral scholar will also develop new rodent stroke models (endothelin injections) and implement simultaneous neurophysiological recordings with stroke injury in awake behaving rodents. They will participate in data analysis and interpretation and may assist in preparation of grant proposals. The postdoctoral scholar will participate in publications and presentations as an author or co-author.

Primary Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• May assist in the preparation of grant proposals, but is not responsible for generating grant funds.
• May participate in publications and presentations as author or co-author.
• Designs and performs experiments. Will keep appropriate experimental records and documentation and analyze the results with the Principal Investigator.
• Analyzes interpret, summarizes, and compiles data.
• Performs routine and complex laboratory procedures throughout the training period.
• Operates and maintains equipment and instruments.
• May observe MD-patient or MD-human research subject interactions as it pertains directly to research being performed.

 

Department-Specific Responsibilities:

• Conduct multi-site electrophysiological recordings across motor cortex and cerebellum in rodent models using Neuropixels and TDT electrophysiology workstations.
• Design and execute closed-loop stimulation and brain-machine interface experiments to investigate cerebellar neuromodulation approaches for stroke recovery.
• Perform spike- and LFP-based data analyses to characterize cortico-cerebellar dynamics during motor learning, consolidation, and post-stroke recovery.
• Investigate sleep-dependent mechanisms of motor skill consolidation and their disruption after cerebellar/cortical injury.
• Contribute to manuscript preparation and dissemination of findings related to motor systems neuroscience and neural engineering.
• Assist in mentoring and supervising junior trainees (interns, graduate students) on experimental and analytical techniques within the lab.

Qualifications

Education:

• Doctorate (MD, PhD, VMD, or DDS) in area directly related to field of research specialization.

 

Experience and Skills:

• Acquires thorough technical and theoretical knowledge of research project and objectives during one to five (1-5) year post-doctoral appointment.
• Works independently on research projects designed by a mentor (typically the PI) within area of specialization.
• Previous experience with rodent surgeries and animal intracranial electrophysiology is required.
• Proven ability to conduct rodent procedures as evidenced by first author publications is required.
• Demonstrated aptitude to perform experimental protocols and procedures, including detailed data collection, analysis, operation, and maintenance of specialized equipment.
• Function efficiently and cooperatively with a team of faculty, research associates, technicians, and students.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills are essential.
• Knowledge of safety standards and maintenance of specialized equipment.

About the organization

Cedars-Sinai is a leader in providing high-quality healthcare encompassing primary care, specialized medicine and research. Since 1902, Cedars-Sinai has evolved to meet the needs of one of the most diverse regions in the nation, setting standards in quality and innovative patient care, research, teaching and community service. Today, Cedars- Sinai is known for its national leadership in transforming healthcare for the benefit of patients. Cedars-Sinai impacts the future of healthcare by developing new approaches to treatment and educating tomorrow's health professionals. Additionally, Cedars-Sinai demonstrates a commitment to the community through programs that improve the health of its most vulnerable residents.