Postdoctoral Researcher

Job Description:

Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc., (AMA) is seeking to hire a Postdoctoral Researcher for our Hampton, Virginia location.  The individual selected for this position will work with NASA Langley Research Center personnel supporting the Multi‐model Ensemble Risk Assessment (MERA) project team in the Space Radiation Group at NASA Langley Research Center.  The MERA project develops tools to assess long duration, deep space exploration mission, and space radiation health risks in support of NASA’s space exploration goals. The main health risks include carcinogenesis, cardiovascular disease, acute risks associated with a solar particle event, and the possibility of both in‐flight and long‐term central nervous system decrements.

Tasks may include reading and interpreting relevant scientific literature, accessing databases and data mining, integrating multiple data sources relevant to radiation risk assessment, developing computational models to predict health outcomes, and collaboration with MERA team members on related projects.

The goal of this requisition is to select a researcher to support Central Nervous System (CNS) and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) MERA work.  The successful candidate will conduct research and analysis of the space radiation effects on the central nervous system. The research shall include investigating the overlap between radiation-induced central nervous system damage and cardiovascular system damage with an emphasis on the vascular commonalities.

Requirements:

• PhD in Neuroscience, Kinesiology, Physiology, Biology, or closely related fields.

• Documented research in radiation effects on the brain including neurovasculature, cognitive outcomes, and neurodegeneration.

• Documented human subjects research related to cerebrovascular health and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

• Experience using or developing Adverse Outcome Pathways for research purposes.

• Familiarity with NASA space radiation risk models.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Expertise in numerical methods and programming.
• Working knowledge of statistics and machine learning including sensitivity analysis.
• Cancer research in the fields of radiation physics, radiation biophysics, computational biology, systems biology, and/or epidemiology.
• Experience writing and presenting technical reports.

Analytical Mechanics Associates (AMA) is proud of our customer relationships, our diverse and dynamic work environment, and our employees' career satisfaction. AMA is a small business with a wide reach; headquartered in Hampton, VA, AMA has operations in Greenbelt, MD; Huntsville, AL; Dallas and Houston, TX; Denver, CO; Mountain View, CA; and Edwards Air Force Base, CA. With over 60 years of experience, AMA specializes in aerospace engineering, science, analytics, information technology, and visualization solutions. AMA combines the best of engineering, science, and mathematics capabilities with the latest in information technologies, visualization, and multimedia to build creative solutions. We offer competitive salaries and a substantial benefits package, including but not limited to paid personal and federally recognized holiday leave, salary deferrals into a 401(k)-matching plan with immediate vesting, tuition reimbursement, short/long term disability plans, and a variety of medical, dental, and vision insurance options.

AMA is committed to the professional growth of every employee, understanding that the successes of our employees drive our success. We provide a work environment that is engaging, collaborative, and supportive. To learn more about our company, please visit our website at www.ama-inc.com/careers and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

AMA is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any applicant for employment or employee because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited under federal, state, or local laws.