MixingLab People

POSTDOCTORAL OPENING: Applications are invited for a postdoctoral researcher to study the dynamics of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain at the University of Rochester. The work will focus on the fluid dynamics and physical mechanisms of the recently-discovered glymphatic system, which sweeps away metabolic waste by pumping cerebrospinal fluid through the brain during sleep. The glymphatic system likely plays a key role both in improving cognitive ability after sleep and in preventing diseases such as Alzheimer's that result from waste buildup. The successful candidate will address a wide array of open questions: Along what paths does fluid flow in the brain? What mechanisms drive its motion? How does flow connect to neural activity like slow waves and to cognitive ability after sleep? How does flow change during pathological conditions such as stroke and traumatic brain injury? How does flow change as waste builds up, and do these changes accelerate buildup? The successful candidate will join a team in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, led by Douglas H. Kelley, John H. Thomas, and Jessica K. Shang, which has published recent results in Science, Nature Communications, JCI Insight, Journal of the Royal Society: Interface, and elsewhere. We expect to continue publishing high-impact discoveries.

The successful candidate will use particle tracking, front tracking, and other sophisticated tools to measure cerebrospinal fluid flow from in vivo mouse experiments. Experience in programming, analysis of large data sets, and fluid dynamics is essential. Experience with particle tracking, image analysis, or in vivo/vitro biofluids experiments is a plus. Excellent writing skills are preferred. We collaborate closely with Maiken Nedergaard at the University of Rochester Medical Center, whose team discovered the glymphatic system and performs the in vivo experiments (the successful candidate may also have the opportunity to engage in experiments). The successful candidate will be encouraged to collaborate with others in Mechanical Engineering who study the glymphatic system via numerical simulations, theoretical arguments, and experiments; currently two other postdoctoral researchers, two PhD students, and a few undergraduate researchers are involved, in addition to the faculty mentors. We anticipate a 1 July 2020 start date, but some flexibility is possible. For full consideration, applicants should email a curriculum vitae and cover letter by 1 April 2020.

OTHER OPENINGS: Interested in becoming part of the team? Email a cover letter and curriculum vita. Interested in summer research as an undergraduate? We usually evaluate candidates in mid-February.

Douglas H. Kelley Douglas H. Kelley is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and earned a PhD in physics from the University of Maryland. He held postdoctoral appointments at Yale University (in mechanical engineering) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (in materials science and engineering). Previously he earned an MS from Auburn University and a BS from Virginia Tech. Doug is a member of the American Physical Society, ASME, and AAAS.

Doug's ORCiD profile | Doug's Google Scholar profile

email Doug
218 Hopeman Hall
Rochester, NY 14627-0132
585-275-7769
download vCard

Jeff Tithof Jeff Tithof is Assistant Professor of Research in mechanical engineering at University of Rochester. Previously he earned a PhD in physics from Georgia Tech and a BS in physics and math from University of Tennessee.

Jonathan Cheng Jonathan Cheng is a postdoctoral associate in mechanical engineering at University of Rochester. He previously held a postdoctoral appointment in Applied Physics at Eindhoven University of Technology. Prior to this, he earned a PhD and an MS in Geophysics and Space Physics at University of California – Los Angeles and a BA in Physics at University of Chicago.

Jia Liu Jia Liu is a postdoctoral associate in mechanical engineering at University of Rochester. Previously she earned a Ph.D. and a B.S. in Thermal Energy and Power Engineering at Chongqing University. She was a visiting scholar in physics at Georgia Institute of Technology from 2016-2018.

Adi Raghunandan Aditya Raghunadnan (Adi) is a postdoctoral research associate in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rochester. He obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, working on interfacial and biological soft matter flows. Previously, Adi also earned an MS from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from India.

Ruy Ibanez Ruy Ibanez is pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rochester Prior to that he received his MSME from Baylor University and a BS in Physics at the University of Texas at Austin.

Fatima Min Rivas Fatima Min Rivas is is a graduate student in the Physics Program at the University of Rochester. Previously she earned a B.S. degree in Physics at the University of Redlands.

Ibrahim Mohammad Ibrahim Mohammad is pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rochester.

Bitong Wang Bitong Wang is a PhD student in the Materials Science Program at the University of Rochester. Previously he earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Metal Material Engineering at Sichuan University and a Masters degree in the Materials Science Program at the University of Rochester.

Logan Bashford Logan Bashford is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rochester.

Daniel Troyetsky Daniel Troyetsky is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rochester.

Alumni