Assistant Project Scientist-Hell lab

The University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology invites applications for 1 academic position at 50-100% appointment in the Assistant Project Scientist series.

We seek a highly motivated and skilled project scientist to help lead studies on the role of structural and scaffolding proteins in organizing postsynaptic functions. Investigations will include structural analysis with highly purified proteins paired with structural modeling, which will incorporate relevant experimental data. Functional tests will be performed through cutting edge microscopic methods. The candidate will have at least 10 years of expertise with respect to structural analysis and modeling.

The successful candidate will be a member of our dynamic, interactive research team and will engage in scholarly discussions with colleagues on new ideas and concepts. The candidate will also be expected to develop independent lines of research broadly related to structural aspects of postsynaptic functions and generate data that will be essential for informing and validating hypotheses.

The duties and responsibilities of this position include: performing skilled experimental procedures of protein expression and purification, their structural analysis by cryo

EM and spectroscopic techniques such as fluorescence polarization and life time analysis, and immunoblotting, and advanced microscopic techniques including two photon and fluorescence life time microscopy, collecting, analyzing, and curating data, preparing respective figures for scientific publications, presentations and grant applications, submitting independent grant applications relevant to the candidate’s research, and maintaining the highest regulatory and safety standards within the laboratory environment.

Anticipated salary range for 100% position is: $76,700-$97,600
Anticipated salary range for 50% position is: $36.74 - $46.75

This position requires creative contributions to and collaborative development of an active research program investigating the role of structural proteins in postsynaptic function. The candidate will help to determine research goals in consultation with the Principal Investigator. He/she will design specific projects, including the selection of appropriate methods and techniques. In some cases, the candidate may supervise students or technicians regarding the technical aspects of the research, including methods development, troubleshooting problems, interpreting results and planning follow-up experiments.

The candidate may also be expected to occasionally work on projects with collaborators, both inside and outside UC Davis.

In particular, the candidate is required to have theoretical and practical knowledge of protein structures and their analysis by molecular dynamics, rosetta and alpha fold programs. Most desirable is expertise with spectroscopic methods, including cryo

EM and NMR. Other potential expertise includes cellular and biochemical analysis of postsynaptic proteins. The candidate must be able to perform and interpret respective experiments. The candidate will be expected to develop new ideas about how to analyze structural effects on enzymatic functions of postsynaptic proteins with focus on activity‑induced synthesis of cAMP by adenylyl cyclase and its degradation by phosphodiesterases.

The candidate will further be expected to publish results and assist the Principal Investigator in supervising and training graduate and undergraduate students.

The candidate will publish research in peer‑reviewed journals either independently or in collaboration with the PI or other members of the research team.

The candidate will assist in writing proposals for funding from federal and state agencies and other funding organizations. The candidate will prepare and assist in the preparation of reports as required by granting agencies and prepare modifications of budgets and other grant components as needed. In consultation with the PI, the candidate will develop and submit independent grant applications relevant to the candidate’s career stage and research…