Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ocular Mechanics, Devers Eye Institute, Portland, Oregon

NIH-FUNDED POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN FINTIE ELEMENT MODELING OF OCULAR TISSUES - TWO YEAR TERM

The Devers Eye Institute Ocular Biomechanics Laboratory is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to construct, analyze, and interpret finite element models of the posterior hemisphere of the eye to characterize the mechanical behavior of the optic nerve head in normal and glaucomatous eyes. The optic nerve head is the site of nerve damage in glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the world, and we hypothesize that intraocular pressure-driven optic nerve head biomechanics is the mechanism of damage. We have several large NIH grants focused on ocular biomechanics in glaucoma and intraocular pressure telemetry, and the successful candidate will join a dynamic team of accomplished biomedical engineers, scientists, and clinicians studying the optic nerve head using experimental, imaging, and computational approaches.

The duties of this position include the further development of finite element models of the posterior pole and optic nerve head at both the continuum and microarchitectural levels, integration of inhomogeneous hyperelastic, anisotropic material properties into the models, analysis of models, interpretation of the results, and manuscript preparation as first author. The incumbent will also have the freedom to develop his/her own ideas and receive support and help in their development from the research team.

A Ph.D. in Mechanical or Biomedical Engineering or a related field is required. Experience with finite element modeling of complex biologic tissues is required. Experience with modeling of trabeculated structures such as bone, as well as a working knowledge of Amira, Amira Developer, and Abaqus is preferred.

To apply, please e-mail a complete curriculum vitae, a representative publication, and the names and contact information of two references to the contact below.

J. Crawford Downs, PhD
Associate Scientist
Research Director, Ocular Biomechanics Laboratory
Devers Eye Institute
Portland, Oregon USA

email: cdowns@deverseye.org