A postdoctoral research associate position is available at UCL to work in an interdisciplinary bioengineering/neurophysiology research group in Medical Physics. The project is into Electroceuticals – treating disease by electrical stimulation of autonomic nerves. Until now, this has been accomplished by stimulation of entire nerves. However, many nerves supply several organs and functions, and the intended beneficial effect can be limited by production of unwanted side-effects through stimulation of unwanted organs. This project employs a new medical imaging method, Electrical Impedance Tomography, which enables imaging of localised activity within nerves using a flexible silicone rubber nerve cuff. The resulting images can be used for avoidance of off-target effects by selective stimulation of the identified fascicles with the same nerve cuff. The post is for 3 years, 18 months in the first instance, to start as soon as possible. The project is funded by the USA National Institutes of Health (NIH) SPARC (Stimulation peripheral activity to relieve conditions) program and is an interdisciplinary neurophysiology/engineering project. UCL Medical Physics is a leading interdisciplinary centre for Bioengineering in the UK, situated within one of the strongest neuroscience communities in the world at University College London. This project will be supervised by Dr. Kirill Aristovich and Professor David Holder, Medical Physics and Clinical Neurophysiology, UCL.
The appointee will be responsible for physiological aspects of the work, working in a multidisciplinary team in physiological and human recordings.
The appointment is available from Autumn 2021. It is intended to be for 3 years but is for 1 year in the first instance.
Key Requirements
The successful applicant will have a PhD. Neuroscience, physiology or medicine are most relevant but applications will be considered from candidates from other backgrounds if they have the relevant skills. They should have proven ability to conduct high-quality original research and prepare results for publication. Previous experience in electrophysiological and whole animal recordings is desirable.
Further Details
Further information can be accessed at
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/medphys/research/eit. A person and job specification is available at
https://liveuclac-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/regtdsh_ucl_ac_uk/EfWAq3beuNFGkSHlTlyFhysBjJsdM7MjO6DP01NeNlSKtw?e=KNXxEE.
