K221701
Mentor: Dr. Virendra Mishra, Department of Radiology
Ph.D. and Postdoctoral research openings
One (1) NIH-funded Ph.D. position and One (1) NIH-funded Postdoctoral position is available with Dr. Mishra in the Department of Radiology to develop predictive deep/machine learning models to identify biomarkers of dementia, focusing on Parkinson’s disease (PD) but are encouraged to work on other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The postdoctoral scholar and Ph.D. student will learn techniques for acquiring clinically relevant sophisticated MRI acquisitions such as multishell high angular and spatial resolution diffusion-weighted MRI (dMRI), high temporal resolution functional MRI (fMRI), pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling MRI (pcASL MRI), and novel MRI techniques to measure/validate global cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen, and blood-brain barrier permeability in neurodegenerative diseases. Independent and innovative thinking will be encouraged under the guidance of PI. Application by the postdoctoral fellow and the Ph.D. student for independent funding within the scope of the research projects in the lab from NIH/NSF/DOD is encouraged under the guidance of PI.
PI has an established track record of developing novel post-processing techniques for most of the above types of data acquisition. Applicants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the PI’s research: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=YtcO0wIAAAAJ&view_op=list_works
The laboratory is in the Volker Hall with a dedicated Windows computing workstation and a central high-end Linux computing workstation. The Department of Radiology at UAB is one of the very few centers with a simultaneous PET/MR system and the fellows will be encouraged to try out new ideas on this system. Most of the research will be done on the 3T Prisma scanner located at UAB Highlands hospital which is currently the most sophisticated MRI scanner for dMRI data acquisition. The students and postdoctoral scholars are expected to be present physically on the scanner, mandatorily for their projects, to learn the scanning techniques and manipulate the acquisition parameters to circumvent the artifacts with the current acquisition techniques.
Applicants should have or should be working towards their Ph.D. either in electrical engineering, computer science engineering, biomedical engineering, or neuroscience with an interest in engineering, mathematics, and/or statistics. Interested applicants should send their CV, names of three references, and a letter of interest outlining their research background and career goals by email to Virendra R. Mishra, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Radiology, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL,
About our Postdoc Office
UAB is committed to the development and success of outstanding postdoctoral scientists. Here at UAB, nearly 300 postdoctoral fellows are training currently in a variety of disciplines. Competitive postdoc awards are available including internships, grant incentives, funds to enhance education and collaboration outside UAB, and teaching opportunities at local universities. There is also a Postdoc Research Day with monetary awards. The Office of Postdoctoral Education strongly encourages UAB research mentors to follow the National Research Service Award stipend level guidelines, and postdoctoral scholars qualify for health, life, and other insurances. They also have the right to participate in the university’s 403(b) program and enjoy vacation, sick leave, maternity/paternity leave, and other benefits.
About the University
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a research university and academic health center that discovers, teaches, and applies knowledge for the intellectual, cultural, social, and economic benefit of Birmingham, the state, and beyond. UAB is internationally renowned for its intensely collaborative culture that has — for more than five decades — produced breakthroughs in education, health care, research, and service. UAB was ranked #1 in the United States, and in the top 10 worldwide, in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2018 Young University Rankings.
Spanning more than 100 city blocks, UAB is the state of Alabama’s largest single employer with nearly 28,000 employees and has an annual, state-wide economic impact of $12.1 billion. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 “America’s Best Graduate Schools” ranks 16 UAB graduate programs among the nation’s top 25 and eight UAB specialties were ranked among the nation’s top 50 in the magazine’s 2022-2023 Best Hospitals report. UAB research grants and awards are at a record high, totaling $715 million in FY22 — a 50% increase over the past five years. UAB ranks 33rd among all universities in federal research funding and 17th among public universities. UAB's NIH funding continues to grow among peer institutions in the Southeast and beyond, with the university ranking 25th among all universities in NIH funding and 11th among public universities.
UAB is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and family-friendly environment in which all faculty and staff can excel and achieve work/life balance irrespective of, race, national origin, age, genetic or family medical history, gender, faith, gender identity, and expression as well as sexual orientation. UAB also encourages applications from individuals with disabilities and veterans.
For more information on Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action at UAB, visit the UAB Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion opens a new website, call (205) 934-8762, or contact the office at 701 20th Street South, AB 336, Birmingham, AL 35294-0103.