PhD position in lung mechanics and physiology at Stevens Institute of Technology
THE OPENING: An opening is available for a Ph.D. student to join our NIH-funded lung mechanics and physiology research lab.
THE PROBLEM: In the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), including that caused by Covid-19, edema reduces pulmonary gas exchange. Mechanical ventilation assists gas exchange but causes ventilation induced lung injury (VILI) and impedes recovery. Mortality exceeds 33% and new therapies are needed.
OUR APPROACH AND FINDINGS: A unique method of determining surface tension in edematous alveoli led us to (i) find that VILI is attributable to heterogeneous lung mechanics, and proportional to surface tension, and (ii) discover that a fluorescent dye has the ability to lower surface tension, improve oxygenation and reduce VILI.
QUALIFICATIONS: It is required that applicants have:
–An undergraduate engineering degree
-Strong written and oral communications skills
It is desirable for applicants to have:
-A master’s degree
-Experience working with small animals
-Classroom or practical training in physiology
THE PI: Carrie E. Perlman, Ph.D., trained in mechanical engineering at MIT and biomedical engineering at Northwestern University. She was a postdoctoral fellow in pulmonary physiology at Columbia University. She is an Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering at Stevens, where she runs the BME Ph.D. program, and serves as a standing member of a NIH study section.
LAB WEBSITE: https://personal.stevens.edu/~cperlman/lungmechanics.html
THE ENVIRONMENT: Stevens, in the small city of Hoboken, NJ, provides a multidisciplinary research training environment. The beautiful campus is located on the Hudson River, directly opposite and 10 minutes by train or ferry from lower Manhattan.
CONTACT INFORMATION AND TIMING: Interested candidates should email Dr. Perlman at [email protected], and attach a CV. Applicants for fall, 2022, should contact Dr. Perlman as soon as possible.
