Postdoctoral Research Associate

About the role

• Job Title
• Postdoctoral Research Associate
• Agency
• Texas A&M University
• Department
• School of Engineering Medicine
• Proposed Minimum Salary
• Commensurate
• Job Location
• Houston, Texas
• Job Type
• Staff

About the role

Our Commitment

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experiences. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.

Responsibilities

Research/Data Analysis

• Optimize and maintain a real-time closed-loop fMRI neuromodulation platform.
• Develop and modify software interfaces for fMRI-based real-time applications.
• Improve graphical and user interfaces used for participant-facing neuromodulation displays.
• Maintain and troubleshoot real-time pipelines for data acquisition, preprocessing, signal extraction, filtering (e.g., exponential moving average, Kalman), analysis, closed-loop output generation and real-time display updating, visualization, and logging.
• Integrate software with imaging systems, workstations, networked data streams, displays, and experimental hardware. Develop timing, synchronization, queueing, latency, and overrun-management strategies to keep updates on schedule at each repetition time (TR).
• Implement structured logging and diagnostic approaches to detect missed data, dropped samples, timing drift, and processing failures.
• Apply the Papageorgiou Lab's computational pipeline, such as signal processing, machine learning, dimensionality reduction, classification, state-space and hidden Markov modeling, and network-level analysis.
• Develop validation and regression-testing procedures to confirm that the software continues to perform correctly after each change.
• Support MRI scanning sessions with human participants.

Training/Laboratory Coordination

• May assist, mentor, collaborate, and/or supervise student researchers and/or graduate students and/or medical students, who are working on research related to the project.
• Collaborate with clinicians, neuroscientists, engineers, imaging scientists, and computational researchers.
• Contribute to manuscripts, presentations, documentation, and grant-related research.
• Prepare presentation materials on research topic that may be presented to small and/or large groups.
• Actively participate in the preparation of required technical progress reports to research sponsors.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Required Education

• Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree iin Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Medical Physics, or a closely related quantitative discipline.

Required Licenses and Certifications

• Completion of human-subjects research (CITI) and MRI safety training is required within 30 days of hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three years of experience with real-time systems; hardware-software interfaces; MRI/fMRI acquisition or analysis
• Experience developing, evaluating, or troubleshooting computational or engineering systems through doctoral research or equivalent advanced training.
• Experience with scientific programming and quantitative data analysis, shown by first-author publications or equivalent work products.
• A demonstrated record of self-motivation, independent problem-solving, and sustained commitment to complex projects.
• Knowledge of: MRI neurofeedback, brain-computer interfaces, or closed-loop biomedical systems; AFNI, FSL, SPM, Turbo-BrainVoyager, or related neuroimaging software; Siemens real-time data export; event-driven, asynchronous, multithreaded, multiprocessing architectures; real-time signal processing; network communication or inter-process communication; hardware triggering or instrumentation; GPU or parallel computing; machine learning; functional connectivity or network analysis; and research software used for human fMRI experiments

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Advanced programming skills in Python, MATLAB, C/C++, or related languages.
• Strong knowledge of software engineering practices including debugging, testing, version control, documentation, configuration management, and reproducibility.
• Understanding of real-time systems concepts including latency, synchronization, timing drift, buffering, dropped data, and failure recovery.
• Knowledge of Linux/Unix environments and shell scripting.
• Strong quantitative reasoning, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to translate scientific and engineering requirements into computational solutions.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Knowledge of data privacy and secure handling of human-subjects' data.
• Attention to detail

Why Texas A&M University?

We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration.

• Medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life and AD&D, flexible spending accounts, and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time
• Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more
• Educational release time and tuition assistance for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee
• Living Well, a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees

Additional information

Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered, or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.