Postdoctoral Research Scholar - PHHI

Position Overview

The Postdoctoral Scholar will assist the Principal Investigator (Dr. Andrew Neilson) in the Plants for Human Health Institute by leading and conducting independent research (80%), general laboratory management (10%), and mentoring graduate students as appropriate (10%). This position is located in Kannapolis, NC.

• The primary duties of this position will include conducting advanced independent and/or directed research with a focus on the interaction between plant-derived phytochemicals, the human gut microbiome and nutrition/health outcomes. Major research thrusts in the Neilson lab currently involve
  1) utilizing phytochemicals to modulate production of gut microbiome-derived uremic toxins such as trimethylamine N‑oxide (TMAO), phenylacetic acid, phenylacetylglutamine, and imidazole propionate, and
  2) understanding individual genetic differences predicting phytochemical bioavailability, metabolism, and efficacy for disease prevention, among others.
• The majority of the work will be performed using four key research tools:
  1) anaerobic fecal fermentations,
  2) rodent models of nutrition/disease (including models of genetic diversity),
  3) mammalian and/or bacterial cell culture, and
  4) instrumental analysis (particularly LC‑MS/MS). This will include study design, collection and analysis of data, ensuring quality of data, basic statistical analysis, generating tables and figures for presentation (in manuscripts and conference presentations) as it relates to impacts on human health, participation in preparation and submission of manuscripts, reports and grant proposals.
• Other general duties will include general lab and instrument maintenance and management as well as other duties as assigned. In addition to performing assigned experiments, the candidate will contribute to the intellectual direction of the lab by identifying important research questions, formulating hypotheses and designing experiments (including adoption of new techniques) to test those hypotheses.
• The candidate must have a demonstrated ability to work independently and creatively. She/He will provide support to peers, collaborative partners, and students, have good communication skills, and be able to articulate clearly the scientific and technical needs in the field, set clear goals, and work within an interdisciplinary setting.
• The successful candidate will be expected to develop and submit (with guidance from the Principal Investigator) postdoctoral fellowship applications and other grant applications to sponsors such as USDA, NIH, etc. The candidate is expected to routinely publish their research in relevant peer‑reviewed academic journals.

Work Schedule:

Mon‑Fri, approx 8 am‑5 pm; work may sometimes be required outside of these hours due to the nature of animal and bacterial experiments required for this position.

Department

Required Skills:

• Doctoral Degree in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Nutrition Science, Food Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Toxicology, or a related field.
• Experience in one or more of the following fields: anaerobic microbiology/fermentations, molecular biology (PCR), analytical chemistry (particularly LC‑MS/MS), in vitro work, or rodent work (gavage, injection, blood collection, etc.).
• Demonstrated record of publishing primary research findings in peer‑reviewed scientific journals.
• Strong written and oral English communication skills.
• Ability to lead complex research projects with knowledge of advanced microbiological, molecular, and/or analytical chemistry techniques as appropriate for plant‑derived phytochemicals.
• Ability to train and supervise graduate students and visiting scholars.
• Responsible for data acquisition, statistical processing, and interpretation as well as development and maintenance of datasets, and use of basic statistical and other software packages.

Preferred Years Experience, Skills, Training,

Education:

• Experience in one or more of the following areas: anaerobic microbiology or fermentation; molecular biology; rodent research methods; gnotobiotic/germ‑free animal research; biology and physiology of…