Post Doctoral Associate-Kozai Lab

Start Date: Immediate

Experience: 2 years or above

Remote Job: Yes (Telecommute)

About the role

The Department of Bioengineering is seeking a Post Doctoral Associate to investigate how glial and neurovascular biology shapes the brain’s chronic response to perturbation. This position is funded by an NIH R01 studying how microglia, astrocyte, oligodendrocyte health and myelination influence long-term neural circuit function. It is designed for researchers trained in glial biology, neuroimmunology, neurovascular science, or the neurobiology of disease who want to apply their expertise to mechanistic questions at the interface of glial cell biology and neural circuit function.

Researchers whose training is in Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, stroke, or other conditions involving neuroinflammation, demyelination, or neurovascular disruption will find that their disease-model expertise applies directly to the questions we study, where many of the same pathological cascades operate in a system that is experimentally accessible at cellular resolution.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute experiments characterizing microglial, astrocytic, oligodendrocytic, and neurovascular responses to chronic CNS perturbation using immunohistochemistry, confocal and multiphoton imaging, flow cytometry, and molecular assays (qPCR, Western blot, RNA-seq).
• Investigate how glial phenotypic transitions evolve over time and how they are modulated by pharmacological interventions, genetic tools, and environmental parameters.
• Characterize oligodendrocyte and myelin dynamics, including OPC proliferation, differentiation, and remyelination potential, in the context of chronic neuroinflammation.
• Develop and apply in vitro platforms (primary glial cultures, iPSC-derived microglia, co-culture systems) to model glial-neuronal-vascular interactions under controlled conditions.
• Integrate biological characterization with ongoing electrophysiology, imaging, and computational modeling efforts within the lab and across collaborative teams.
• Contribute to active manuscript projects on myelin remodeling, metabolic dysfunction, and glial coordination at the neural interface.
• Build analysis pipelines for histological, transcriptomic, and proteomic datasets using R, Python, MATLAB, or ImageJ/Fiji.
• Prepare results for peer-reviewed manuscripts, conference presentations, and grant applications.
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate trainees in experimental methods and quantitative analysis.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in neuroscience, neurobiology, biomedical engineering, molecular/cellular biology, immunology, physiology, or a related field.
• Demonstrated research experience studying glial cells (microglia, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes), neuroinflammation, neurovascular biology, or the tissue response to CNS injury or disease.
• Hands-on experience with at least two of the following: immunohistochemistry, confocal or multiphoton microscopy, flow cytometry, rodent surgical procedures, molecular assays (qPCR, Western blot, ELISA), or RNA-seq.
• Proficiency in quantitative data analysis using R, Python, MATLAB, or equivalent tools.
• Strong record of scientific productivity, including first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with in vivo rodent models of neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, demyelination, traumatic brain injury, or stroke.
• Experience with iPSC-derived glial cultures or in vitro co-culture systems modeling neuro-glial interactions.
• Familiarity with transcriptomic or proteomic analysis pipelines (e.g., DESeq2, IPA, Cytoscape).
• Background in oligodendrocyte biology, myelination, or OPC dynamics.
• Interest in translational neuroscience, neural interfaces, or neurostimulation.
• Prior device experience is welcome but not required; training will be provided.

About the Lab

The B.I.O.N.I.C. Lab (bioniclab.org) at the University of Pittsburgh uses chronically implanted neural devices as a controlled, spatially defined, and longitudinally accessible perturbation model to study glial and neurovascular responses. Tools include two-photon imaging, high-density electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, and transcriptomics. The lab’s research advances both the basic science of glial-neuronal-vascular coordination and the translational goal of building brain-computer interfaces and neurostimulation therapies that work reliably for years.

Collaborative Environment

The position includes opportunities for cross-training across the laboratories of Drs. Franca Cambi (VA Pittsburgh, myelin and oligodendrocyte biology), Alberto Vazquez (hemodynamic and neurovascular imaging), and collaborators in cortical circuit physiology and neurostimulation. The broader environment includes UP NExT (University of Pittsburgh Neural Engineering Cross-Translation), bridging the Swanson School of Engineering, School of Medicine, and Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, as well as the BRIDGE-STIM 2027 workshop series connecting researchers across institutions.

Career Development

The postdoctoral associate will gain expertise at the intersection of glial biology and neural circuit function, a niche with growing demand and few trained investigators. The position provides access to a full translational pipeline (rodent through human participants), experience with multi-PI collaborative science, and mentoring in grant writing, manuscript preparation, and scientific communication. The lab supports postdoctoral career development toward independent faculty positions.

Skills

• Immunohistochemistry
• Confocal Microscopy
• Multiphoton Imaging
• Flow Cytometry
• qPCR
• Western Blot
• RNA-seq
• R, Python, MATLAB
• ImageJ/Fiji
• Rodent Surgery
• iPSC-derived Cultures
• Quantitative Data Analysis
• Neuroinflammation Research
• Glial Biology