Join Our Team
We are dedicated to building a vibrant, collaborative research environment in the Murugan Lab. Available roles and application instructions are outlined in the following sections and updated annually. If you are interested in joining our team, please use the form below to indicate your interest.
REQUIREMENTS
- A PhD in a scientific field such as biomedical engineering, biology, neuroscience, or related areas
- Experience with planning and implementing in vivo spinal cord injury research, including rodent care, surgery, immunohistology, and relevant quantitative analyses. Experience with cell transplantation and mammalian cell culture are preferred but not required
- Experience with design and fabrication of MPS systems for high throughput screening applications. Experience with hPSC differentiation and co-culture, particularly for neural and immune cells is preferred but not required.
- Ability to act independently when writing and submitting manuscripts, and contribute to grant applications as pertinent to career goals
- Cultural competency and willingness to mentor junior lab members
We are actively seeking postdoctoral fellows with expertise in spinal cord injury and cell transplantation and/or microphysiological systems (MPS) development. We are actively seeking 2 postdoctoral fellows with expertise in spinal cord injury and cell transplantation and/or microphysiological systems (MPS) development.
REQUIREMENTS
- A PhD in a scientific field such as biomedical engineering, biology, neuroscience, or related areas
- Experience with planning and implementing in vivo spinal cord injury research, including rodent care, surgery, immunohistology, and relevant quantitative analyses. Experience with cell transplantation and mammalian cell culture are preferred but not required
- Experience with design and fabrication of MPS systems for high throughput screening applications. Experience with hPSC differentiation and co-culture, particularly for neural and immune cells is preferred but not required.
- Ability to act independently when writing and submitting manuscripts, and contribute to grant applications as pertinent to career goals
- Cultural competency and willingness to mentor junior lab members
Our lab is highly interdisciplinary and welcomes trainees from diverse backgrounds and levels of experience. We have high expectations, and train undergraduates so that are able to operate on par with graduate students. This requires significant mentored time and access to lab resources. To ensure that mentor-mentee relationships are mutually beneficial, we require the following.
REQUIREMENTS
- Minimum year-long commitment: We expect that new students will start with the idea that they are making a year-long commitment (2 consecutive semesters, Spring/Fall or Fall/Spring), and ideally will plan to spend at least one summer in the lab to maximize project productivity.
- Weekly commitment: We are looking for students who can spend 10 hours a week, and at least two separate blocks of 3-4 hours in the lab. These blocks should be M-F between 8 am and 6 pm. Hours may become more flexible once lab mentors have assessed and affirmed research independence.
- Laboratory meeting: The group meets weekly (day/time varies depending on semester). We expect that all lab members attend unless they have a course conflict. Every lab member is expected to participate in journal club, and present research updates as appropriate. Undergraduates should also plan to attend subgroup research update meetings with their lab mentor and PI as schedules permit.
- Excitement about research: We do not expect undergraduates to have any particular research experience before coming into the lab, but we do look for students who are passionate about getting involved, ask good questions, and are able to give, receive, and reflect constructive criticism. Integrity, reliability, and a growth mindset are key to lab success.