Postdoctoral Associate

Postdoctoral Associate

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Anesthesiology within the New Jersey Medical School (NJMS). Under the direction of the PI, the Postdoctoral Fellow will study novel EphB1/2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors as candidate therapeutics for neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain remains a major unmet clinical need, and Eph receptor signaling has emerged as a promising but under explored target for disease-modifying analgesics.

The overarching goal of this project is to define the behavioral effects, potency, pharmacological profile, and molecular correlates of next-generation EphB1/2 inhibitors across multiple preclinical models of neuropathic pain, advancing lead compounds toward therapeutic development.

The postdoctoral fellow will play a central and intellectually engaged role in the project, leading behavioral and pharmacological evaluation of novel compounds across both surgical and chemical mouse models of neuropathic pain, including nerve injury-based and chemotherapy-induced paradigms. Core behavioral assays will include von Frey mechanical allodynia, hot plate thermal hyperalgesia, acetone-evoked cold allodynia, marble burying, and locomotor activity assessments. Together, these assays will allow comprehensive evaluation of analgesic efficacy, affective-related behaviors, and potential off-target effects such as sedation or motor impairment.

The fellow will also contribute to dose response analyses, time course studies, and comparisons with clinically relevant analgesics.

Among the key duties of this position are the following:

• Participates in experimental design and carries out experiments using mouse and human brain material, cultured cells, high resolution fluorescence imaging and image analysis, biochemical, as well as molecular biology approaches.
• Operates and maintains experimental equipment; assists in writing protocols for IACUC.
• Records, quantifies and analyzes data from experiments.
• Assists Principal Investigator in data processing.
• Maintains a proper data notebook pursuant to the standards of the Department and the PI.
• Contributes to the intellectual development of the project.

FLSA
- Exempt

Grade

Salary Details

Minimum Salary - 20,000

Mid Range Salary - 90,000

Maximum Salary - 200,000

Benefits
- Rutgers provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. The specific benefits vary based on the position and may include:
Medical, prescription drug, and dental coverage Paid vacation, holidays, and various leave programs Competitive retirement benefits, including defined contribution plans and voluntary tax-deferred savings options Employee and dependent educational benefits (when applicable) Life insurance coverage Employee discount programs

Position Status
- Full Time

Working Hours
- Standard

Standard Hours - 37.50

Daily Work Shift
- Day

Work Arrangement
- This position requires a fully on-site work arrangement.

Union Description
- Post Docs
- Regular Salaried

Payroll Designation
- People Soft

Seniority Unit

Terms of Appointment
- Staff - 12 month

Position Pension Eligibility - ABP

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience
- The candidate must hold a PhD in the fields of Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Cell Biology, or a similar field, and must have a strong background in neurobehavioral approaches for pain-related behavioral testing, and tissue isolation in mouse brain and spinal cord.

Certifications/Licenses

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- The candidate must have the ability to perform each essential duty satisfactorily and be able to work independently.

Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience with human cells or postmortem tissue samples is desired. The candidate should have a demonstrated record of achievements and publications, good communications skills, and the ability to work in a collaborative environment.