Overview
Position Description
THE KUO LAB is seeking an outstanding Associate Research Scientist with expertise in human electroencephalography (EEG) to join the Initiative for Columbia Ataxia and Tremor (ICAT) Laboratory. The successful candidate will lead and support translational research focused on cerebellar ataxia, tremor, Parkinson’s disease, and other movement disorders through advanced EEG acquisition, analysis, and integration with multimodal clinical and neurophysiological data. The Associate Research Scientist will work closely with the Principal Investigator, multidisciplinary clinical teams, engineers, and data scientists to develop innovative EEG biomarkers of disease progression, neural circuit dysfunction, and therapeutic response. This position offers opportunities to lead independent research projects, publish in high-impact journals, mentor trainees, and contribute to grant development.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Design, implement, and oversee human EEG research studies involving patients with movement disorders and healthy controls.
- Develop and optimize EEG acquisition protocols, including resting-state, task-based, and event-related potential (ERP) paradigms.
- Perform advanced EEG preprocessing, artifact removal, source localization, time-frequency analyses, connectivity analyses, and machine learning approaches.
- Integrate EEG findings with clinical, neuroimaging, behavioral, and genetic datasets.
- Develop novel neurophysiological biomarkers for cerebellar ataxia, essential tremor, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, and related disorders.
- Maintain quality assurance procedures for EEG data collection and processing.
- Supervise research coordinators, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research assistants involved in EEG studies.
- Prepare manuscripts for peer-reviewed publications and present research findings at national and international scientific meetings.
- Assist in writing NIH and foundation grant applications.
- Collaborate with investigators across Columbia University and external research institutions.
- Ensure compliance with IRB regulations, HIPAA requirements, and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines.
- Participate in laboratory meetings, journal clubs, and collaborative research initiatives.
- Other duties as assigned
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Psychology, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field.
- Minimum of three years of postdoctoral research experience or equivalent.
- Demonstrated expertise in human EEG acquisition and advanced EEG signal processing.
- Strong publication record in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
- Experience analyzing electrophysiological data using MATLAB, Python, EEGLAB, FieldTrip, MNE-Python, or similar software.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a multidisciplinary research environment.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience conducting EEG research in neurological or movement disorders.
- Knowledge of cerebellar physiology and motor control.
Experience with event-related potentials (ERP), source localization, functional connectivity, and neural oscillation analyses. - Familiarity with statistical analysis software (R, SPSS, Python).
Experience with machine learning or artificial intelligence approaches applied to EEG. - Experience integrating EEG with MRI, motion capture, EMG, wearable sensors, or other neurophysiological modalities.
- Prior experience mentoring trainees and managing collaborative research projects.
- Successful history of obtaining research funding or contributing to NIH grant applications.
