Title:  Neurostimulation to Investigate In Vivo Radiofrequency Bioeffects

Description: The mission of the AFRL’s Radio Frequency Bioeffects Branch (RHDR) is to understand the interaction of radio frequency (RF) directed energy with biological systems to improve human health and safety. To better understand the potential biological hazards of exposure to RF radiation, our lab will use advanced neurostimulation techniques to study potential changes in biological systems caused by the absorption of RF. Neurostimulation studies may be conducted at the cell, tissue, organ, or organismal level. Neurostimulation techniques may include the patch clamp method, and electrical, infrared, radiofrequency, and optogenetic neurostimulation, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Neurostimulation techniques may be also used in combination with other advanced imaging technologies, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Such studies will allow us to better perform in vitro and in vivo RF dosimetry to validate and verify (V&V) bioelectromagnetic computational models and to better understand RF biological effects. This includes improving our understanding of the risk of injury, and the underlying mechanisms of injury at the cell, tissue, organ system, and organismal levels that may be caused by exposure to directed energy.

We are a collaborative team consisting of personnel from multiple military research units, industry, and academia. Our teammates have expertise in a wide range of research areas, including bioelectromagnetics, biophysics, computational modeling, electrical engineering, optical and laser physics, biomedical engineering, biology, physiology, electrophysiology, neuroscience, and image acquisition and processing. We seek a talented interdisciplinary experimental scientist with experience in in vivo experimentation and physiology, and a strong background in neuroscience, neurostimulation techniques, central and peripheral nervous system anatomy, function, and physiology, electrical engineering, hardware setup/control and software programming (e.g., LabVIEW, MATLAB, and/or Python), and statistics. A background in psychology is also desirable, but not necessary.

Keywords: directed energy, electrical stimulation, electrophysiology, injury, in vivo models, neuroscience, neurostimulation, optogenetics, radio frequency, transcranial magnetic stimulation

Eligibility:  Open to U.S. Citizens

Level: Open to Postdoctoral and Senior applicants

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited [P.A. Case No. AFRL-2024-3946, 17 July 2024]. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the official guidance or position of the United States Government, the Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the United States Space Force.

key words

directed energy, electrical stimulation, electrophysiology, injury, in vivo models, neuroscience, neurostimulation, optogenetics, radio frequency, transcranial magnetic stimulation

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral and Senior applicants