Postdoctoral Associate - Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

About FIU

Florida International University is a Top 50, preeminent public research university with 55 000 students from all 50 states and more than 140 countries, as well as an alumni network of more than 340 000. Located in the global city of Miami, the university offers more than 200 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels, including medicine and law.

FIU faculty are leaders in their fields and include National Academy members, Fulbright Scholars and Mac Arthur Genius Fellows. A Carnegie R1 institution, FIU drives impactful research in environmental resilience, health and technology and innovation. Home to the Wall of Wind and Institute of Environment, FIU stands at the forefront of discovery and innovation. With a focus on student success, economic mobility and community engagement, FIU is redefining what it means to be a public research university.

The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University stands at the forefront of integrating community-based medical education and clinical care, with a focus on training socially accountable physicians, scientists, and health professionals dedicated to community service. As an academic and clinical affiliate of Baptist Health and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, the College of Medicine offers a unique environment for innovation and growth.

The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University is currently seeking multiple full-time, non-tenure, postdoctoral associate positions in the laboratories of Dr. Lakshmana (Lakshmana Lab) and Dr. Chand (Chand Lab) within the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine.

Lakshmana Lab works on the basic and translational research of neuroimmune disorders and Alzheimer’s disease. For basic research, the main goal is to identify proteins and molecules that regulate Amyloid-β generation and tau hyperphosphorylation. For translational research, the lab develops biological assays to identify small molecule compounds by high throughput screening (HTS) and high-content screening (HCS) assays targeting pathways such as autophagy‑lysosome, senescence, and epigenetics.

The lab also targets Alzheimer’s disease resilience factors to enhance neuronal plasticity as a therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease.

For the postdoctoral associate position in this lab, prior experience in one or more of the following would be preferred, including working with mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease, proteomics, iPSC‑derived neurons, image analysis, immunoblots, and immunohistochemistry. Candidates with hands‑on experience in adeno/lentivirus purification and the design and development of constructs for transgenic and knockout mice are preferred.

Chand Lab studies the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in mucosal immunobiology and inflammation. The laboratory focuses on analyzing the effects of microbial infection and/or inhalational exposure on airway epithelial remodeling and inflammatory responses underlying asthma, COPD, cancer, and other chronic diseases. The effects of environmental toxicants such as E‑cigarette vape, E‑liquids, tobacco smoke, microbial infections, and indoor allergens are investigated using molecular, cellular, and animal model approaches.

The candidate is required to work with 3D culture systems, animal models, and human tissue samples.

For the postdoctoral associate position in this lab, prior experience working with RNAs, epigenetics, signaling pathways, animal models, histopathology, and immunocytometry is preferred. Prior experience and publication(s) in multi‑omics, organoids, and spatiotemporal molecular data analysis is also preferred.

For both labs, the candidate will be expected to plan and carry out research tasks independently and write‑up/present research findings on a regular basis. The selected candidate will be responsible for analyzing scientific data, writing manuscripts for publication, and helping with grant proposals to national and state funding agencies and foundations. Duties will also include service to the College of Medicine (e.g., member of…