New York University Abu Dhabi Looking for Research Instrumentation Scientist/Specialist – Core Technology Platforms (Magnetoencephalography (MEG) – Dr. Reza Rowshan Full Time

New York University: NYU – Global: Abu Dhabi: AD_Research Centers: Core Technology Platforms Operations

Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

The Core Technology Platforms (CTP) at New York University Abu Dhabi are multidisciplinary, centrally organized research facilities comprised of 12 core laboratories. We provide hundreds of research equipment, user training, and research support to NYU Abu Dhabi’s academic community and collaborators. For more information, please refer to the CTP website.

The CTP seeks to appoint a Research Instrumentation Scientist – MEG (Phd) or a Research Instrumentation Specialist – MEG (BSc or MSc).

The successful candidate will be a member of NYU Abu Dhabi Core Technology Platforms (CTP) Operations reporting to the Executive Director of the CTP department. The existing MEG system was custom-built by the Kanazawa Institute of Technology (KIT, Tokyo, Japan) as part of a collaboration with its Applied Electronics Laboratory, and the scientist will coordinate with the manufacturer to ensure proper maintenance, continuous operation, and occasional upgrading of this system. The scientist will oversee the daily operations of the MEG facility to support faculty and researchers in conducting their research and will support the integration of MEG with other neuroimaging modalities (e.g., EEG and MRI) and research technologies (e.g., eye-tracking).

The candidate:

• Work with the MEG manufacturer to ensure the proper maintenance and continuous operation of the MEG system (including repairs and necessary or desirable upgrades)
• Work with faculty and associated researchers to identify, procure, install and maintain the ancillary equipment/infrastructure necessary to satisfy the research goals of the community served by the MEG facility
• Assist faculty and associated researchers in (i) setting up, (ii) running and (iii) analyzing MEG experiments, uni- or multi-modally (e.g., EEG, eye-tracking), in sensor or source-localized spaces
• Work with faculty and researchers on developing, implementing, evaluating and applying novel MEG/EEG recordings and analysis techniques
• Work with different groups of researchers in diverse disciplines such as psychology, engineering, social sciences and their collaborators at other local research institutions (e.g., hospitals, universities) and provide them with scientific and technical support.

Duties will include:

• Managing inventory and purchasing of supplies necessary for the day-to-day operation of the MEG facility
• Optimizing/streamlining the existing research infrastructure to ensure the best possible data acquisition conditions (e.g., reducing/eliminating event-trigger delays, working with campus security and janitorial teams to avoid artifacts/noise due to the operation of electronic equipment near the MEG facility during data acquisition, etc.)
• Providing data and process quality control (daily/weekly) to maintain the integrity of the experimental data, including the creation/support of computational infrastructure to store, backup, preprocess and distribute data to the various research groups on campus
• Creating and/or supporting the development of automated data preprocessing pipelines (e.g., denoising, co-registration of head shape information with structural MRI scans or EEG sensors, etc.) to increase productivity and reproducibility of research
• Participation in building local research capacity by training students, postdocs, and new researchers to (i) collect MEG/EEG data at our MEG facility, and (ii) import data and perform basic analysis in available software packages such as MNE Python and/or Matlab-based toolboxes such as Fieldtrip.
• Consult with researchers to select appropriate tools and methods for data analysis, including modern statistical techniques for multiple-comparisons correction, denoising, multivariate analyses, functional connectivity analyses, and surface-based analyses.
• Organize training workshops and seminars to expose researchers to new developments in imaging methods and analysis techniques

The research scientist will be responsible for preparing the Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) for the MEG facility, including all accessories, and following and enforcing the Environment and Safety regulations. The research scientist will make sure that all equipment under his/her supervision is operational, make or arrange for preventive maintenance and repairs. The research scientist will handle the preparation and procurement of  the laboratory materials, equipment spare parts, and consumables.

The ideal candidate must be willing to be trained on additional equipment in the brain imaging core as required and operate them. Once employed, it may be necessary to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

The hiring committee will start the evaluations and interviews on January 16, 2023. This position is open until filled.

Applicants must have a PhD degree in Psychology/Neuroscience/Bioengineering or equivalent for the Research Instrumentation Scientist postion and BSc or MSc for the Research Instrumentation Specialist position in a relevant field.

This position requires:

• Three years of relevant experience must include extensive work with MEG[MOU1] research principles, research training, data acquisition and analysis, statistics, and/or signal processing.

• Experience conducting scientific research that includes methods and technologies associated with analytical or relevant fields.
• Research Background in neuroimaging data collection and analysis, including the use of MNE Python and/or Matlab-based toolboxes such as Fieldtrip.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, solid written, verbal and presentation skills, and experience.
• Good judgment skills and the ability to solve problems.

The terms of employment are very competitive and include housing and educational subsidies for children. Applications will be accepted immediately, and candidates will be considered until the position is filled. To be considered, all applicants must submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, transcript of degree, and at least two letters of recommendation, all in PDF format. If you have any questions, please email: [email protected]

About NYUAD

NYU Abu Dhabi is a degree-granting research university with a fully integrated liberal arts and science undergraduate program in the Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Engineering. NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York, and NYU Shanghai, form the backbone of NYU’s global network university, an interconnected network of portal campuses and academic centers across six continents that enable seamless international mobility of students and faculty in their pursuit of academic and scholarly activity. This global university represents a transformative shift in higher education, one in which the intellectual and creative endeavors of academia are shaped and examined through an international and multicultural perspective. As a major intellectual hub at the crossroads of the Arab world, NYUAD serves as a center for scholarly thought, advanced research, knowledge creation, and sharing, through its academic, research, and creative activities.

 EOE/AA/Minorities/Females/Vet/Disabled/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Employer

UAE Nationals are encouraged to apply.