Welcome to the Bioelectronics Group at MIT.
Our lab works at the interface of materials science, electronics, and neurobiology with the goal of advancing the understanding and treatment of disorders of the nervous system. We design, synthesize, and fabricate optoelectronic and magnetic devices that manipulate and record neuronal activity and development.
Our group’s philosophy is that a team diverse in racial, socioeconomic, cultural, and gender identity can achieve far more than one that lacks diversity. Each member of our group has a responsibility in upholding diversity:
Every member of our group is required to respect each other’s perspectives with patience and understanding.
Group members are prohibited from discriminating against any other member on the basis of sex, color, religion, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or age. Group members are required to follow the nondiscrimination policy outlined in the MIT Handbook.
Polina was born in Leningrad, USSR but grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia. She got her BS in Physics from St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University in 2003, and then spent a year as a researcher at the Los Alamos National Lab working on solar cells composed of semiconductor nanocrystals. She completed her PhD in Materials Science at MIT in 2009 with her thesis dedicated to physics-driven design of light-emitting devices based on organic materials and quantum dots. The curiosity towards biology led her to a postdoctoral fellowship in Neuroscience and Bioengineering at Stanford, where she began creating optoelectronic devices for recording and stimulation of neural activity. In 2011, Polina returned to MIT to start Bioelectronics group. The remarkable efforts of the group members have led to her tenure in 2017. In addition to the neural interface research, she is passionate about superheroes, and she uses their superpowers to help with teaching of undergraduate and graduate classes in the fields of electronics, photonics, and magnetism. Outside work, Polina is a committed distance runner and an enthusiastic rock climber.
Ph.D in Materials Science and Engineering, 2009
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
B.S. in Biophysics, 2003
St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University
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We invite all researchers, and especially those from backgrounds underrepresented in academia, to apply for the positions listed below. Underrepresented groups include, but are not limited to: African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, Filipinos, those with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds, and those underrepresented on the basis of gender identity or expression or sexual orientation.
We are looking for a research support associate who will be responsible for connecting back-end hardware and testing the functionality of fiber-based neural probes for the lab as well as for its collaborators, and maintaining supplies and the organization of the fiber fabrication lab space. The position may evolve to include performing routine animal surgeries to implant the neural probes and post-operative care. The position offers an excellent opportunity to facilitate exciting research projects and learn new research skills. Please apply here.
We are looking to hire recent PhD graduates (or graduating students) with training in Neuroscience, Physiology, Molecular Biology, Immunology, or Gastroenterology interested in postdoctoral positions in our group. Please contact Polina directly, attaching your CV, most important paper, and a few sentences on what you are looking to accompish and learn during your postdoctoral training.
Graduate students admitted to MIT Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Medical Engineering and Medical Physics, Physics, and Biology should contact Polina and lab members directly.
Students seeking admission to MIT please reach out to the appropriate departments with the links above and apply to MIT. We’ll be thrilled to talk to you following your formal admission. Individual faculty members at MIT do not make admission decisions.
MIT and Wellesley undergraduates should check the MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunities (UROP) website for the available positions or reach out to Bioelectronics graduate students and postdocs.
Non-MIT/Wellesley undergraduates – we encourage you to apply into one of the excellent summer programs available at MIT (e.g. Center for Materials Science and Engineering (CMSE) REU, MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP), Amgen Scholars). Following your admission, you can indicate us as a potential summer home.