Postdoctoral Position in Epilepsy Neurobiology

The laboratories of Dr. Sattar Khoshkhoo in the Department of Neurology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Dr. Jordan Farrell in the Department of Neurology at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School are jointly seeking highly a motivated postdoctoral fellow with a passion for neuroscience and oncogene neurobiology. The position offers a minimum annual salary of $70,000 and is adjustable based on research experience.

The Khoshkhoo Lab aims to understand the contribution of somatic mosaicism—in particular Ras-MAPK mutations—in pediatric and adult focal epilepsies. They use a range of advanced genomic techniques including single-cell and spatial multiomic evaluation of epilepsy surgical tissue as well as iPSC-derived neural cultures and mouse models to examine the developmental and functional mechanisms of mosaicism in epilepsy. The Farrell Lab is broadly interested in brain network dynamics, in particular, how normal hippocampal oscillations could be hijacked in epilepsy and other neurological diseases. To study these mechanisms, they use a combination of in vivo mouse models as well as ex vivo human tissue culture paired with electrophysiology, functional imaging, and targeted cell type-specific modulation.

The research directions relevant to this postdoc position are at the intersection of both labs’ expertise, including: 1) Mechanisms of hippocampal Ras-MAPK somatic mosaicism and their synergy with acquired insults in epileptogenesis, 2) Pathologic sequelae of Ras-MAPK overactivation in neurons and neural circuits, and precision therapy approaches targeting Ras-MAPK signaling, 3) Role of dentate gyrus neurogenesis in the emergence of hippocampal network hyperexcitability and epilepsy. Some relevant publications include: Farrell et al. Science 2021; Khoshkhoo et al. JAMA Neurology 2023; Farrell et al. Nature 2024; Bizzotto et al. PNAS 2025; Khoshkhoo et al. bioRxiv 2026. For more information, please check our websites at and .

Candidate qualifications include:

• PhD and/or MD in neuroscience, bioengineering, neurogenetics, or other related fields.
• Expertise in neuronal electrophysiology and/or functional imaging (calcium, voltage, etc.)
• Expertise in working with neural model systems such as iPSC-derived neuronal cultures, animal models, or cultured brain slices.
• Experience with basic molecular biology and genetics techniques.
• Strong quantitative/analytical skills and proficiency in programming in MATLAB, Python, or R.
• Track record of first-author original research papers.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.

To apply, please send a cover letter describing your research interests along with your CV and contact information for three references to [email protected] and [email protected]

Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children's Hospital, teaching hospitals of Harvard Medical School, are two of the top-ranked hospitals in the United States and premier research institutions. Our labs are situated in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, adjacent to the Harvard Medical School campus, which facilitates easy and frequent collaboration with many world-renowned institutions in the greater Boston area, including Harvard, MIT, and the Broad Institute. Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School are fully committed to promoting equity and diversity, and fostering a workforce that represents a broad spectrum of backgrounds and perspectives.