Student Researcher - Zhang Lab

The Department of Neurology at the University of Iowa is seeking a highly motivated Student Research Assistant to work in the Center for Neurodegeneration. This position will work in the laboratory of Qiang (Johnson) Zhang, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology. This position involves extensive collaboration with the laboratories of Dr. Nandakumar Narayanan, MD, PhD, and Dr. Michael Welsh, MD. 

Duties to include: 

• Performing animal behavioral studies, including stereotactic surgeries, optogenetics, fiber-photometry and neuronal ensemble recording, as well as immunohistochemistry.
• Maintaining lab protocols and compliance requirements
• Actively participating in weekly laboratory meetings
• Conducting literature research
• Maintaining the validity and integrity of research data
• Preparing high quality graphs and figures for presentations and publications.

As skills develop, the Undergraduate Research Assistant will be involved in data analysis.

Time Commitment: Approximately 20 hours/week during academic semesters. Up to 40 hours/week during breaks (i.e., Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter). Schedule is flexible and to be determined with supervisor upon hire.

Pay: Based on relevant experience. Typically, between $11.00 - $12.50/hour.

Required Qualifications

• Must be currently registered as an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa. Major in health science preferred. 
• Strong basic computer skills (Microsoft Office, Access PowerPoint, Word). 
• Regular and reliable attendance 
• Excellent interpersonal skills 
• Ability to communicate (written and spoken) effectively.
• Excellent organizational skills 
• Experience with data entry and database management.

Desired Qualifications

• Familiarity with and/or recent course work in neuroscience 
• Knowledge of basic experimental design in animal models and psychology/neuroscience 
• Prior experience as a research assistant in a Psychology or Neuroscience lab 
• Familiarity with basic lab techniques (i.e. pipetting)
• Familiarity with MatLab and/or R coding. 
• Experience with statistical analysis, especially statistical computing. 
• Experience with Artificial Intelligence/Machine learning. 

This position is well suited for candidates considering medical school. As a federally funded physician-scientist previously supported by NIH training grants, Dr. Zhang is highly committed to the career development of his trainees. The Zhang lab has an excellent track record of Undergraduate Research Assistants going to medical school. Past Alumni from this position have moved on to prestigious medical schools including Duke University and University of Iowa.

Dr. Zhang is a neurologist and neuroscientist who specializes in treating and diagnosing patients with movement disorders, including those with Lewy Body dementia/Parkinson's disease dementia. Dr. Zhang was trained with Nobel Laureate Dr. Stanley Prusiner. Dr. Zhang’s main goal is to understand the cholinergic circuit mechanisms underlying the cognitive deficits in Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy Body dementia/Parkinson's disease dementia. Dr. Zhang is also studying the role of glucose metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease and exploring the possibility of treating Alzheimer’s disease by enhancing glycolysis.