Staff Scientist - Metabolomics

Department BSD DFI
- Metabolomics

About the Department The Duchossois Family Institute (DFI) studies how the microbiome influences susceptibility to infectious, inflammatory, and autoimmune disease. Using a multi-omic approach and mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, the DFI identified and characterizes gut metabolites to understand microbe-microbe and host-microbe interactions. The team supports the University of Chicago and external researcher through experimental design, custom analyses, and data visualization, while also developing rapid, same-day quantitative assays to help clinicians assess gut microbiome health in clinical settings.

The DFI partners with The University of Chicago Advanced Technology (UCAT) Laboratory, a CLIA-licensed, CAP-accredited clinical lab within the Department of Pathology specializing in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Together, they develop, validate, and deliver same-day, mass spectrometry-based diagnostics that translate microbiome science into actionable patient care.

The job facilitates and promotes a research project or contributes to the scientific direction of a research resource. Receives a moderate level of guidance and direction. The Staff Scientist
- Metabolomics will collaborate with a dynamic team of scientists, clinicians, and industry partners on cutting-edge metabolomics research — designing studies, performing targeted and untargeted LC and GC-MS experiments, elucidating unknown compounds, and contributing to publications. On the clinical side, the Staff Scientist – Metabolomics will develop and validate quantitative same-day assays in a CLIA-licensed, CAP-accredited lab, translating microbiome science into actionable diagnostics for patients enrolled in clinical trials.

• Collaborate with internal teams, academic/industry partners, and UChicago clinical staff on study design and data interpretation.
• Maintain and troubleshoot LC and GC-MS instruments; perform targeted and untargeted metabolomics experiments.
• Support structural elucidation of unknown compounds; and contribute to data analysis, visualizations, and manuscripts as needed.
• Develop quantitative same-day blood and fecal assays for a CLIA/CAP clinical lab.
• Author SOPs covering sample handling, data collection, QC validation, and instrumentation logs; maintain reagents, solvents, calibrators, and QC materials.
• Enforce BSL-2 and chemical safety protocols; execute daily (Mon–Fri) sample testing and data reporting for clinical trials; and coordinate sample logistics and results communication with clinical and DFI teams.
• Serves as a resource for collecting data and performing analysis.
• Contributes to facilitating and promoting a research project by providing scientific or intellectual information.
• Reviews laboratory protocols and training on new techniques.
• Manage complex data sets for research.
• Leads the contributions to scientific writing and publications, including protocols and grants.
• Performs other related work as needed.

• Education:
  
  Minimum requirements include a PhD in related field.
• Work Experience:
  
  Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
• Certifications:
  
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• Spearheaded mass spectrometry-based metabolic quantitation within a CLIA/CAP regulated environment, ensuring rigorous compliance with clinical quality standards and method validation requirements.
• 3+ years of hands‑on expertise across the full MS data spectrum – targeted, untargeted, and quantitative workflows – to drive actionable insights and support high‑throughput analytical pipelines.
• Established track record analyzing microbially derived metabolites across complex biological systems, with focused in gut microbiome metabolomics from both human and murine models.

• End-to-end proficiency in GC-MS and LC-MS analytical pipelines across targeted and untargeted metabolomic workflows, from method development and sample preparation through data acquisition, analysis, and reporting; including experience with complex biological matrices and CLIA/CAP-regulated…