Post-Doctoral Fellow - Microbiology and Immunology Job Richmond area,Virginia USA,Research/Development

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU's sponsored research, the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient care and education. Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity employer.

The Post-Doctoral Fellow will assist the Principal Investigator with funded research projects investigating interactions among sensory neurons, immune cells, and epithelial cells in the skin. The goals of the research projects will be:

To define how sensory neurons and their mediators modulate T cells in the context of psoriasis.

To study how sensory neurons and immune cells promote protection against skin-invading parasites.

To determine the actions of parasitic helminths on neurons that evoke itch and pain.

The Post-Doctoral Fellow will also assist with scientific manuscript preparation, protocol standardization, mouse colony management, and training of graduate students and laboratory technicians. Grant-writing opportunities will be provided upon request. For this research, the successful candidate must hold a Ph.D. degree in immunology or neurobiology. Priority will be given to those with experience in multiparametric flow cytometric analysis (FACS), mouse models of parasitic and barrier immunity;

expertise with the preparation of mouse tissues such as the lungs and skin, lymph nodes, dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and spinal cord (SC); mammalian tissue culture; cryosectioning, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Basic molecular biology and general lab skills, including equipment maintenance, are also required.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Under the direction of the PI, design and carry out mouse-based immunology and neurobiology experiments.
Analysis of immune cell populations and cytokine levels in the skin, lymph nodes, and lungs by FACS, ELISA, and IHC
Purification of tissue-resident cells by FACS and preparation for scRNA-seq analysis
Skin and lung tissue preparation for spatial transcriptomics
Evaluation of helminth larvae, adults, and eggs (Schistosoma mansoni and Nippostrongylus brasiliensis) in the skin, lungs, intestine, liver, and portal vein
Functional analysis of T cells (proliferation, cytokine secretion, surface markers, cytotoxicity).
Evaluation of neuron populations in DRG, SC, and skin
Monitoring mouse itch and pain behavior
Help with maintenance of the lab's mouse colony and genotyping through PCR
Learning and training new lab members in mouse dissection and other basic skills
Be responsible for monitoring and reporting lab safety issues
Help maintain lab cleanliness and ordering of reagents and supplies as needed
Diligently keep a laboratory notebook of all experiments
Management and record of data sets
Track use of key reagents

Minimum Qualifications:

Doctoral degree in biomedical sciences, preferably with experience in immunology, parasitology, or neuroscience.
Familiarity with FACS, IHC, ELISA, RT-qPCR, and transcriptomic analysis.
Basic lab skills such as pipetting, making solutions, lab safety.
Computer skills including data management, word processing, Excel, etc.
A demonstrated proficiency in keeping detailed notes, files, and records organized
Attention to detail and ability to effectively multitask
A strong, diligent work ethic and excellent communication skills
Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at VCU

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with Spectral flow cytometry such as Cytek Aurora and FACS analysis programs such as Flow Jo or OMIQ
Experience with cryosection, fluorescence, and confocal microscopy
Experience in mouse models of helminth parasite infection
Experience with analysis of transcriptomics data (RNAseq, scRNAseq, and spatial transcriptomics)
Experience with molecular biology (e.g., plasmid preparation, Western blot, PCR, qPCR)
Experience in working with mice, maintaining a mouse colony, breeding, and tissue collection

Salary Range: $63,480-$65,000

Benefits:
All VCU employee types are eligible for a wide array of benefits to support you during your employment sult the benefits website for information on benefits eligibility according to employee type.

FLSA Exemption Status:
Exempt

Hours per Week: 40

ORP Eligible:
Yes

Flexible Work Arrangement:
Fully Onsite

This is a restricted position with no set end date; continued employment is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance.

Contact Information:
Contact Email: SOMHR