Jr Specialist - Navedo x1

Position overview

Salary range:
A reasonable estimate for this position is $55,000 at Step 1 or $58,600 at Step 2

Open date: February 1, 2026

Next review date: Monday, Feb 16, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Thursday, Dec 31, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

The University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology invites applications for 1-2 Junior Specialist positions in the sub-specialty area of cardiovascular research. Junior Specialist appointees will be involved in interdisciplinary studies focusing on questions within this sub-specialty. Junior Specialists will devote 90% of time to research and related activities, and 10% to professional competence and public service, as described below.

Junior Specialist positions are short-term, two-year maximum appointments made to help meet the needs of laboratory and department research projects. Appointments are 100% (full-time).

These positions are tenable in the laboratory of Dr. Manuel

F. Navedo, Professor of pharmacology. We undertake a diversity of research activities and engage in numerous collaborations. Our goal is to investigate the regulation of blood vessels at the cellular, molecular, and tissue levels, comparing normal with dysfunctional responses. We use animal disease models with pathologies such as hypertension, diabetes, Alzheimer  disease and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. We study processes related to both acute function (excitation-contraction coupling) and gene expression (excitation-transcription coupling).

We focus on cell signaling molecules such as protein kinases, as well as membrane ion channels, transporters, and pumps, along with energetics and mitochondria. Complementing our functional analyses, we aim to understand structural determinants such as post-translational modification, translocation, assembly, or polymerization of proteins. We characterize mechanisms and molecules with the intention that they may be identified and validated as therapeutic targets for the treatment of vascular diseases.

CANDIDATES  RESPONSIBILITIES

Research (90%):
Successful candidates will participate in laboratory studies, assisting principal investigators (PI), senior investigators, postdoctoral researchers and/or graduate students. The incumbent will actively participate in creative activities, including research presentations and publications. In addition, the incumbent will analyze and organize data that contributes to the writing of manuscripts suitable for publication. Candidates will participate in scientific discussions in the lab setting, weekly lab meetings, and monthly departmental science-in-progress talks.

Primary Responsibilities

• Animal Colony Management:
  Management (including selective breeding and genotyping) of mouse colonies representing various gene-altered models relevant to vascular function.
• Genotyping:
  Perform genotyping as needed to support colony management and experimental planning.
• Ordering and Procurement:
  Ordering and stocking of laboratory supplies, maintaining inventory systems.
• Chemical Inventory Management:
  Maintain organized chemical inventory, ensuring proper storage, labeling, and safety compliance.
• Solution Preparation:
  Prepare experimental solutions and reagents according to established protocols.
• General Laboratory Work:
  Shared lab maintenance duties including cleaning/sanitization, record keeping, and supporting day-to-day laboratory operations.

Additional Research Activities

• Preparation of vascular smooth muscle from mice using approved protocols for use in acute experiments.
• Maintenance of cell cultures, including unpassaged vascular smooth muscle cells and HEK cells.
• Generation and monitoring of specific mouse models of disease by dietary or drug intervention.
• Molecular biology experiments:
  Western blotting, PCR, recombinant protein expression and analysis, and work with adenoviral constructs.
• Functional experiments on cells and tissues using diverse techniques such as live or fixed imaging, fluorescence assays or electrophysiology.
• Managing or co-managing safety training and documentation for lab personnel.
• Informal scientific discussions within the lab and progress reports, university symposia, poster presentation sessions, or even regional, national, or international scientific meetings.

Professional Competence (5%): The candidate will be encouraged to participate in weekly lab meetings, attend weekly seminars/conferences, contribute towards weekly journal clubs and other activities, as applicable within the Department of Pharmacology.

Public Service (5%): The candidate will mentor undergraduate students and assist with dissemination of experimental procedures/technical expertise to other research groups and…