The Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) is seeking a postdoctoral research fellow to join the spinal cord injury neuromodulation program of the Neurosurgery Restorative Neurotrauma Lab, with joint appointments at the University of Minnesota. The lab runs one of the largest active portfolios of epidural and transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation studies in the country, including the E-STAND trial, long-term outcomes follow-up of implanted participants, home-based and rhythm-based stimulation protocols, and a new noninvasive transcutaneous stimulation line. Its work spans restoration of volitional movement, autonomic function, and data-driven optimization of stimulation parameters.

The fellow will work directly with the principal investigators as a scientific writing and analysis partner: leading manuscripts from existing datasets, drafting and assembling grant applications, and analyzing electrophysiological, kinematic, and autonomic data. The role also supports the day-to-day science of the lab through stimulation sessions, protocol refinement, and mentoring of graduate students and trainees. This is a 50/50 hybrid role requiring a minimum of 50% onsite presence in downtown Minneapolis.

Essential functions

• Work closely with HCMC/HHRI investigators to define research questions, analyses, and data elements for spinal cord injury neuromodulation projects.
• Scientific writing (35%): lead and co-author manuscripts from ongoing studies; draft specific aims, significance, approach, and preliminary data sections for federal and foundation grant applications; prepare progress reports, abstracts, and conference presentations.
• Data analysis (30%): analyze surface EMG, kinematic/accelerometer, cardiovascular, and autonomic time-series data; build and maintain reproducible analysis pipelines in Python and/or MATLAB; produce publication-quality figures and statistical analyses.
• Study and lab support (25%): participate in stimulation and assessment sessions; contribute to protocol design, amendments, and IRB submissions; support REDCap database structure and data quality; help coordinate device programming and stimulation parameter optimization workflows.
• Mentorship and collaboration (10%): mentor graduate students and trainees on analysis and writing; work within a multidisciplinary team; contribute to collaborations with the University of Minnesota and external partners.

Minimum qualifications

• Doctoral degree (PhD, MD, or equivalent) in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, physiology, rehabilitation science, kinesiology, biostatistics, or a related field.
• Demonstrated writing productivity: first-author peer-reviewed publications and experience contributing to grant applications or fellowship proposals.
• Strong quantitative skills, including programming in Python and/or MATLAB and experience analyzing time-series physiological data such as EMG, EEG, kinematics, and cardiovascular signals.
• Experience designing, conducting, and interpreting human-subjects research.
• Clear, efficient written and verbal communication, and the ability to work independently and manage multiple projects.

Preferred qualifications

• Prior research in spinal cord injury, neuromodulation (epidural, transcutaneous, or other electrical stimulation), or motor/autonomic neurophysiology.
• Experience with human electrophysiology data acquisition (EMG, EEG, accelerometry) and stimulation hardware.
• Familiarity with clinical trial conduct, IRB and regulatory processes, and REDCap database building and reporting.
• Experience with statistical modeling of longitudinal or repeated-measures data and with power/sample-size analysis for grant applications.
• Interest in autonomic outcomes after spinal cord injury.
• Track record of, or interest in pursuing, fellowship or career-development funding such as F32, K-series, or foundation awards with PI support.

Compensation follows NIH guidelines for post-doctoral roles. HHRI is an equal opportunity employer.