Postdoctoral Research Associate , Translational Cardiovascular Research Center; Phoenix

Postdoctoral Research Associate I, Translational Cardiovascular Research Center (Phoenix)

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix (COM-P) is seeking a highly motivated candidate for the full‑time position of Postdoctoral Research Associate in Dr. Tobias Jakobi's laboratory. Our lab focuses on understanding the interplay of different RNA species and underlying functional networks in the heart, with the goal of developing methods for the early diagnosis of heart disease as well as novel treatment options by employing state‑of‑the‑art computational approaches.

The ideal candidate should have a strong background in algorithm development, transcriptomics, sequencing data processing, and/or applied machine learning. The individual will develop novel algorithms to analyze large and complex biomedical data sets and contribute to research and research‑related service in translational cardiovascular research. The Postdoctoral candidate will benefit from interaction with a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.

The University of Arizona provides health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to recreation and cultural activities; and more.

• Develop and maintain detailed records of experiments, analyze and write findings.
• Assist with preparation of grants and manuscripts.
• Present manuscripts, oral presentations, posters, and research findings at national and international conferences.
• Plan, coordinate, and conduct scientific research requiring judgment in the independent evaluation, selection, and substantial adaptation and modification of standard scientific techniques; serve as principal investigator, as appropriate, on sub‑projects of complexities consistent with the above criteria.
• Generate new ideas and projects for development.
• Design, perform, and/or oversee experiments and data collection to ensure data integrity, quality control, and protocol compliance.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret data; prepare statistical and narrative reports and/or graphs as appropriate; prepare manuscripts for publication; present research results to scientific conferences and other groups.
• Share supervisory responsibility for research technical staff, including graduate and undergraduate students.
• Attend regular group meetings; manage, maintain, and order laboratory equipment and supplies; and respond to administrative requests and procedures.

• Strong computational skills in programming languages such as Python, R, and Perl, and software tools for bioinformatics analysis.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for presenting research findings and writing grants.
• Proficiency with bioinformatics databases (Ensembl, NCBI, Uni Prot) and tools (BLAST, Bowtie, SAMtools).
• Knowledge of statistical methods and machine learning techniques for biological data analysis.
• Strong problem‑solving skills with attention to detail and data integrity.

• PhD in biomedical science, molecular biology, vascular biology, biochemistry, physiology, or a related field is required.

• Experience in molecular biology.
• Experience with large‑scale data analysis (next‑generation sequencing, proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics).
• Proven track record of scientific publications in peer‑reviewed journals.
• Collaboration experience with experimental biologists and interdisciplinary teams.
• Experience with high‑performance computing environments (Linux, cloud computing, cluster management).