Assistant Project Scientist Apply now to Assistant Project Scientist Job #JPF10121 + Neurosurgery / David Geffen School Of Medicin / UCLA Position overview Position title: Assistant Project Scientist Salary range: $74,100-$85,900 Review timeline: reviewed every 2 years Application Window Open date: January 21, 2025 Next review date: Friday, Feb 14, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee. Final date: Thursday, Feb 20, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled. Position description The Department of Neurosurgery at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is actively seeking a dedicated Assistant Project Scientist to join the pioneering Neuroplasticity and Repair Laboratory, led by Dr. Daniel Lu. This position offers an exciting opportunity to engage in both preclinical animal studies (rodent models of spinal cord injury (SCI) and neurodegenerative diseases) and clinical research involving patients with SCI and neurodegenerative conditions. Our research aims to understand neural reorganization and develop neuromodulation-based therapies to enhance functional recovery following spinal cord damage. Responsibilities: The Assistant Project Scientist will contribute to translational neuroscience research by investigating brain and spinal cord plasticity, neuromodulatory interventions, and rehabilitation strategies to improve patient outcomes. The primary duties include: • Conducting preclinical research using rodent models to examine recovery of function after SCI. • Investigating brain and spinal cord reorganization in response to experimental injuries. • Studying the effects of neuronal modulation and rehabilitation therapies on recovery. • Developing and testing interventions designed to enhance functional plasticity in the injured brain and spinal cord. • Employing a range of methodologies, including: o Surgical techniques for experimental models. o Pharmacological interventions targeting neuroplasticity. o Behavioral assessments to evaluate functional recovery. o Electrophysiological techniques (EEG, EMG) for neural circuit analysis. o Imaging, immunohistochemistry, and microscopy for cellular and molecular studies. • Designing, executing, and analyzing clinical research studies on patients with SCI and neurodegenerative disorders. • Presenting research findings at national and international scientific conferences. • Preparing and submitting manuscripts for publication in high-impact journals. • Assisting with grant writing and securing research funding. • Supervising and mentoring research personnel, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. • Ensuring compliance with ethical standards for human and animal research. Requirements: We seek candidates with a Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent doctorate in neuroscience, biomedical sciences, bioengineering, biomechanics, or a related field. The ideal candidate will have: • A strong background in neuroscience research, particularly in SCI, TBI, and neurodegenerative disease models. • Experience with animal models (rodents) and clinical research involving human patients. • Expertise in neurosurgical techniques, electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, microscopy, and behavioral analyses. • Proficiency in biostatistical analysis and experience with MATLAB, Python, or other data analysis tools. • Strong skills in scientific writing, with a track record of peer-reviewed publications. • Experience in grant writing and securing research funding (preferred but not required). • Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across disciplines. • Commitment to mentorship and training of junior researchers. The Neuroplasticity and Repair Laboratory at UCLA provides a cutting-edge research environment, where you will work alongside leading experts in neuromodulation, neuroplasticity, and rehabilitation. UCLA offers access to state-of-the-art facilities and cross-disciplinary collaborations, fostering innovation and impactful discoveries in spinal cord injury and neurodegenerative disease research. Document requirements Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V. Bibliography Statement of Research Statement on Contributions to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Cover Letter (Optional) Application procedure: Apply by submitting your application to our online RECRUIT system at https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF06527. Screening of applicants will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. The posted UC salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/\_files/2024-25/july-2024-scales/t37-b.pdf The salary range for this position is $74,100-$85,900 The shared values of the DGSOM are expressed in the Cultural North Star, which was developed by members of our community and affirms our unswerving commitment to doing what’s right, making things better, and being kind. These are the standards to which we hold ourselves, and one another. Please read more about this important DGSOM program at https://medschool.ucla.edu/cultural-north-star. The David Geffen School of Medicine Anti-racism roadmap is our co-created path to ensuring racial justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. We are committed to actively dismantling structural racism in our organization as described in more detail at: https://medschool.ucla.edu/diversity-anti-racism-roadmap All aspects of searches are confidential and all candidates are expected to review and abide by UC Regents Policy 1111 on Statement on Ethical Values and Standards of Conduct https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/governance/policies/1111.html. The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, bullying and other demeaning behavior, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. With this commitment as well as a commitment to addressing all forms of academic misconduct, UCLA conducts targeted employment reference checks for finalists to whom departments or other hiring units would like to extend formal offers of appointment into Academic Senate faculty positions. The targeted employment reference checks involve contacting the finalists’ current and prior places of employment to ask whether there have been substantiated findings of misconduct that would violate the University’s Faculty Code of Conduct. To implement this process, UCLA requires all applicants for Academic Senate faculty positions to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled “Authorization to Release Information” into RECRUIT as part of their application. If the applicant does not include the signed authorization to release information with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete. As with any incomplete application, the application will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, only finalists (i.e., those to whom the department or other hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer) considered for Academic Senate faculty positions will be subject to targeted employment reference checks. Qualifications Basic qualifications We seek candidates with a Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent doctorate in neuroscience, biomedical sciences, bioengineering, biomechanics, or a related field Additional qualifications • A strong background in neuroscience research, particularly in SCI, TBI, and neurodegenerative disease models. • Experience with animal models (rodents) and clinical research involving human patients. • Expertise in neurosurgical techniques, electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, microscopy, and behavioral analyses. • Proficiency in biostatistical analysis and experience with MATLAB, Python, or other data analysis tools. • Strong skills in scientific writing, with a track record of peer-reviewed publications. • Experience in grant writing and securing research funding (preferred but not required). • Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across disciplines. • Commitment to mentorship and training of junior researchers. Application Requirements Document requirements + Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V. + Cover Letter (Optional) + Statement of Research (Optional) + Statement of Teaching (Optional) + Statement on Contributions to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion - An EDI Statement describes a faculty candidate’s past, present, and future (planned) contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion. To learn more about how UCLA thinks about contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion, please review our EDI Statement FAQ document, and Sample EDI Statements. + Reference check authorization release form - Complete and upload the reference check authorization release form + Misc / Additional (Optional) Reference requirements + 3-5 required (contact information only) only references of serious candidates will be contacted Apply link: https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF10121 Help contact: jshinn@mednet.ucla.edu About UCLA As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the University of California’s Affirmative Action Policy, please visit https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/\_files/apm/apm-035.pdf. For the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination. As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer. + “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. + UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy (https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000385/SVSH) + UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties + APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment (https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/\_files/apm/apm-035.pdf) Job location Los Angeles, CA