The Department of Neurology is seeking a Research Specialist to support and participate in complex data acquisition and analysis related to the sudden unexpected death of an epilepsy patient (SUDEP). This position functions as a technical expert in data science, specifically programming and system design, and acts as a manager of all phases of data collection, integration, visualization, and statistical analysis. The Research Specialist designs systems and writes computer code to acquire and analyze neural, electroencephalographic, and cardiorespiratory data in epilepsy patients. This position will also design portions of experimental plans and perform basic and complex procedures and techniques related to SUDEP research.

Duties Include:

• Perform basic and complex procedures and techniques during the collection, integration, and analysis of clinical, electroencephalographic, and cardiorespiratory data for SUDEP research.
• Design systems to acquire neural and cardiorespiratory data from patients with epilepsy.
• Develop methods to continuously measure breathing in humans.
• Write computer code to collect, integrate, visualize, and analyze data.
• Design portions of experimental plan and/or protocol.

• Monitor, test and evaluate current procedures. May propose modifications to current protocols.

• Identify and adhere to Quality Assurance practices to assure fidelity to protocol and maintain validity and integrity of research data.
• Critically review research literature, as requested, for the purposes of furthering the research and developing new hypotheses in conjunction with the principal investigator
• Adapt and perform protocols from literature.
• Apply new methods/theories.
• Perform statistical and quantitative analyses of data.
• Perform operational duties associated with research.
• Assist in the design of manuals, questionnaires, and forms.

• Assist in preparing publications and presentations.

For full job description, send email to Lilli Wulff (lillian-wulff@uiowa.edu).

Please note: This is a specified term position that will last 12 months. An extension may be reviewed after the initial 12 months but is not guaranteed.

Required Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Data Science or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Relevant experience in data engineering, data analytics, data visualization, probability and statistics, programming, and/or machine learning may be considered.
• 3 years' experience extracting, integrating, and analyzing data from heterogeneous sources.
• Demonstrated experience programming and using computing software (e.g., Python, R, SQL) for experimental design, data processing, and analysis.
• Attention to detail and a high level of organizational skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  

Desired Qualifications

• Experience working with biological data.
• Experience in developing and automating data pipelines for research-ready analytical outputs.
  

Please attach a resume and cover letter (under submission relevant materials) as part of the application process. Job openings are posted for a minimum of 7 calendar days. This job may be removed from posting and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification. Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process.

If your H-1B petition is subject to the September 19, 2025, Presidential Proclamation, please note that the department will not cover the $100,000 payment associated with H-1B sponsorship, either at the time of hire or for international travel purposes. We encourage you to explore alternative pathways for work authorization. Our team is available to help identify options that may be suitable for your situation.

For additional questions, please contact Lilli Wulff at lillian-wulff@uiowa.edu.