Postdoctoral Research Associate; Gumpper Lab

Department

SOP-CBMC - 452100

08/24/2026

Yes

Postdoctoral Scholar

Postdoctoral Research Associate (Gumpper Lab)

PDS
004952

Full-Time Temporary

40

1

Chapel Hill, NC

North Carolina, US

$64,099

12 Months

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development. Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence.

Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country.

UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage
, paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance. Chapel Hill regularly ranks as one of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, a reputation guided by the diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).) is one of six health science schools (Pharmacy, Nursing, Dentistry, Social Work, Public Health, Medicine) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is one of the oldest health science academic programs at Chapel Hill. The School teaches approximately 600 PharmD students and 145 graduate students. The School has built a reputation for its continued pursuit of excellence, rigorous education and training programs, cutting‑edge multidisciplinary research, progressive pharmacy practices, efficient business operations, and its outstanding faculty, staff, and students.

The School was named the number one School of Pharmacy in the U.S. by the U.S. News and World Report. The School has experienced unprecedented growth and success and continues to strategically position itself for sustained impact, as articulated in the School’s Strategic Plan ().
Our Vision is to be the global leader in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. Our Mission is to prepare leaders and innovators to solve the world’s most pressing health care challenges. We are Advancing Medicine for Life through innovation and collaboration in pharmacy practice, education, research, and public service.

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play an important role across many important physiological systems (i.e. taste, vision, cardiac function, and neurotransmission). We are interested in the molecular mechanisms responsible for the nuanced signaling paradigms of GPCRs and how they lead to vastly different biological outcomes. Gaining atomistic insights into receptor-ligand interactions will allow us to design novel therapeutic compounds and molecular probes (rationally or through computational approaches).
As a model system, we study psychedelics. These compounds exhibit a complex polypharmacology impacting the serotonin, dopamine, and adrenergic receptor systems. While we are interested in investigating all receptor systems that psychedelics impact, we primarily study the 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors. We want to develop novel therapeutic approaches exploiting these systems to create safer and more effective compounds for pain relief and neuropsychiatric disorders.
To interrogate these systems, we utilize state-of-the-art technologies…