Postdoctoral Associate

Summary

We are seeking to hire a motivated individual for a post-doctoral associate position in the laboratory of Dr. Shelly Buffington in the Center for Precision Environmental Health (CPEH). Dr. Buffington’s team recently discovered that diet-induced disruption of the maternal gut microbiome adversely affects brain and behavioral outcomes across multiple descendant generations (Di Gesù, Matz et al., Cell Rep 2022). The research program is focused on identifying the mechanisms by which maternal environmental exposures, from diet to infection, alter offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes and risk for neurodevelopmental disorders.

The postdoctoral associate will be involved in research applying a broad range of techniques including anaerobic culture of beneficial and opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, integrated multi-omic techniques (metagenomics, metabolomics, epigenomics), transgenic mouse colonies, metabolic phenotyping, calcium imaging, as well as molecular, circuit, and behavioral neuroscience. Research would include performing rodent survival surgeries (e.g., bilateral subdiaphragmatic vagotomies, vagal stimulation/recording), molecular biology techniques (e.g., bacterial DNA isolation, RNA library prep), confocal microscopy and quantitative image analysis, rodent behavior (e.g., quantitative assessment of anxiety-like and social behavior, rodent ultrasonic vocalization, etc.),

and basic anaerobic microbiology, as necessary. This position is ideal for an individual who has training in neuroscience and experience working with mice as a model organism. Personnel will be responsible for data generation and analysis. The candidate will also contribute data to grant submissions, data presentation, and the preparation and publication of manuscripts. The position requires the individual to work with rodent animal models.

Job Duties

• Plans, directs, and conducts research experiments in consultation with the principal investigator.
• Evaluates and analyzes data.
• Conducts literature searches and summarizes information in an appropriate format for a particular study.
• Documents results of experiments and reports to principal investigator.
• Defines problems and devises possible solutions to present to principal investigator.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• MD or Ph.D. in Basic Science, Health Science, or a related field.
• No experience required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral Degree in Neuroscience, Physiology, or other Biomedical Sciences.

Baylor College of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Equal Access Employer.