Why Join?
The Brains in Motion lab is committed to the career advancement of its members. We offer a diverse and inclusive environment with opportunities for members to develop their own projects and support for fellowships and career development awards.
We are hiring a Research Associate!
Our lab is looking for a highly motivated individual to join our team as a Research Associate. This person will play a vital role in conducting biomechanical and neurophysiologic human subjects' assessments as well as keeping the lab running efficiently. Click HERE to read the full job description and apply! (Alternatively search for job ID #373059 in the UMN jobs website).
Graduate Students
We are always seeking highly motivated graduate students to join our team. Please read about admission requirements for the Rehabilitation Science Program here. We also accept students from a variety of other programs across the University of Minnesota, including the UMN graduate program in Biomedical Engineering. Applications are due in December of each year, and new students typically start the following fall. A masters degree is not required, provided you have a strong academic record in a 4-year undergraduate degree (neuroscience, psychology, kinesiology, BME or related area) and some kind of lab-based research experience. If accepted into the PhD program, you will automatically be fully funded by research/teaching assistantships. This funding covers your tuition, health insurance, and stipend for living expenses.
Every student's path is unique, but here's a general roadmap of what a PhD in our lab would look like:
- The PhD in Rehabilitation Science typically spans 4–5 years. During the first two years, students complete their coursework while getting deeply embedded in ongoing lab projects, learning our equipment (EEG, TMS, motion capture, TCD, etc.), developing data collection and analysis skills, and building programming proficiency. This hands-on experience helps students identify the research questions that will shape their dissertation.
- By the end of year 2, students should have wrapped up coursework and successfully defended their dissertation proposal and qualifying exam.As students progress, they are expected to take increasing ownership of their research by proactively drafting project aims, generating and refining their own ideas, and driving their work forward with growing independence. Dr. Palmer provides mentorship and guidance throughout this process. By this stage, data collection and analysis for their dissertation project should be well underway.
- The start of year 3 marks the transition to candidacy. Students focus on executing their dissertation studies and wrapping up any additional collaborative lab projects they've contributed to.
- In years 4–5, students complete and defend their dissertation, which is the final milestone of the program. By this point, most students have built a strong publication record, including multiple first-author papers from their dissertation and collaborative work, along with co-authorships on other lab publications.
We encourage interested students to contact Dr. Palmer with their CV and unofficial transcript.
Undergraduate Students
We actively encourage undergraduate research in the Brains in Motion Lab. Undergraduate students who have a particular interest in biomechanics, neurophysiology, cardiovascular physiology, and rehabilitation can engage in mentored research projects. Undergraduates who are interested in either summer research or research throughout an academic year should contact Dr. Palmer with their CV and a summary of their research interests, their goals, their schedule, and their other time commitments. Interested students should be prepared to devote at least 5 hours per week to research.
Postdocs
We may have opportunities for postdocs of a variety of backgrounds in biomechanics, biomedical engineering, physiology and neuroscience to contribute to our ongoing projects. Potential candidates must have a PhD in a related field prior to start. We are especially interested in candidates with research expertise in human neurophysiology and brain aging-related questions. Those interested should contact Dr. Palmer. Please include your CV, a 1-2 page statement on your research experience and plans for postdoctoral research as you see them fitting with the lab, and contact information for 3 references.