Post Doctoral Research Fellow

Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship at the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) and

the Department of Surgery at Hennepin Healthcare

The Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the spinal cord injury (SCI) neuromodulation program of the Neurosurgery Restorative Neurotrauma Lab, with joint appointments at the University of Minnesota. The lab runs one of the largest active portfolios of epidural and transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation studies in the country, including the E-STAND trial, long-term outcomes follow-up of implanted participants, home-based and rhythm-based stimulation protocols, and a new noninvasive transcutaneous stimulation line. Our work spans restoration of volitional movement, autonomic function (cardiovascular, bladder, bowel, and sexual function), and data-driven optimization of stimulation parameters.

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will work directly with the Principal Investigators as a scientific writing and analysis partner: leading manuscripts from existing datasets, drafting and assembling grant applications, and analyzing electrophysiological, kinematic, and autonomic data. The Fellow will also support the day-to-day science of the lab by participating in stimulation sessions, helping refine protocols, and mentoring graduate students and trainees. This position is well suited to a candidate who intends to build an independent research program in neuromodulation and wants a productive, data-rich environment in which to publish and write.

This is a 50/50 hybrid role requiring a minimum of 50% onsite presence in downtown Minneapolis, MN.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Under the direction of the Principal Investigators, work closely with HCMC/HHRI investigators to define research questions, analyses, and data elements for spinal cord injury neuromodulation projects.
• Scientific writing: lead and co-author manuscripts from ongoing SCI studies; draft specific aims, significance, approach, and preliminary data sections for federal (NIH, DoD) and foundation grant applications; prepare progress reports, abstracts, and conference presentations. (35%)
• Data analysis: analyze surface EMG, kinematic/accelerometer, cardiovascular, and autonomic time-series data; build and maintain reproducible analysis pipelines in Python and/or MATLAB; produce publication-quality figures and statistical analyses. (30%)
• Study and lab support: participate in stimulation and assessment sessions; contribute to protocol design, amendments, and IRB submissions; support REDCap database structure and data quality; help coordinate device programming and stimulation parameter optimization workflows. (25%)
• Mentorship and collaboration: mentor graduate students and trainees on analysis and writing; work within a multidisciplinary team; contribute to collaborations with the University of Minnesota and external partners. (10%)

NON-ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Collaborate with researchers on projects related to Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS:

Education/Experience:

Doctoral degree (PhD, MD, or equivalent) in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, physiology, rehabilitation science, kinesiology, biostatistics, or a related field.

The ideal candidate will have a strong record of scientific writing and previous experience in one or more of the following areas: spinal cord injury, neuromodulation, human electrophysiology, clinical research, or quantitative analysis of physiological time-series data.

Skill, Knowledge & Ability (SKA):

Requires interaction with a diverse population, including direct contact with research participants with spinal cord injury. Works effectively within a multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons, engineers, physiologists, coordinators, and rehabilitation clinicians, and collaborates with researchers across the lab's spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury programs.

Minimum qualifications:

• Doctoral degree (PhD, MD, or equivalent) in a relevant field.
• Demonstrated writing productivity: first-author peer-reviewed publications and experience contributing to grant applications or fellowship proposals.
• Strong quantitative skills, including programming in Python and/or MATLAB and experience analyzing time-series physiological data (e.g., EMG, EEG, kinematics, cardiovascular signals).
• Experience designing, conducting, and interpreting human-subjects research.
• Clear, efficient written and verbal communication; ability to work independently and manage multiple projects.
• Display high standards of attendance, punctuality, maintains confidentiality, and manages time effectively.

Preferred qualifications:

• Prior research in spinal cord injury, neuromodulation (epidural, transcutaneous, or other electrical stimulation), or motor/autonomic neurophysiology.
• Experience with human electrophysiology data acquisition (EMG, EEG, accelerometry) and stimulation hardware.
• Familiarity with clinical trial conduct, IRB/regulatory processes, and REDCap database building and reporting.
• Experience with statistical modeling of longitudinal or repeated-measures data and with power/sample-size analysis for grant applications.
• Interest in autonomic outcomes (cardiovascular, bladder, bowel, sexual function) after spinal cord injury.
• Track record of, or interest in pursuing, fellowship or career-development funding (e.g., F32, K-series, foundation awards) with PI support.

This position will be compensated based on NIH guidelines for post-doctoral roles: $63,480 - $77,076, DOQ.

Questions about this position or requests for more detailed information can be directed to Dr. David Darrow at darro015@umn.edu

HHRI is an Equal Opportunity Employer