Postdoctoral Research Associate

About the Role

The Department of Medicine at the University of Virginia is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join the laboratory of Dr. Jeffrey Sturek, MD, PhD. This NIH-funded group focuses on translational pulmonary immunology and fibrosis, utilizing human and patient samples, murine models, and in vitro systems. The role is viewed as training and preparatory for a full-time academic or research career.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a leader of laboratory projects.
• Provide scientific and technical guidance on experimental design, conduct, and interpretation.
• Perform studies to advance the research program's missions.
• Act as the principal investigator's scientific partner.
• Manage administrative, regulatory, and operational needs of the lab.
• Learn new techniques to contribute to the lab.
• Teach other trainees (pulmonary and critical care fellows, medicine residents, PhD candidates, medical students, and undergraduates).
• Contribute to the preparation of research proposals and manuscripts.
• May submit for individual postdoctoral research fellowship funding.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• PhD in the Biosciences or an MD with a research emphasis (required at time of hire).
• Strong organizational skills.
• Willingness and eagerness to learn new techniques.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience with mouse models of pulmonary disease, or murine or human immunology, flow cytometry, and histology.
• Experience with primary cell culture, functional analyses in vitro and in vivo, and characterization of the molecular features of cells (DNA/RNA/Protein).
• Experience with high-dimensional immunophenotyping via mass cytometry and spectral flow cytometry.
• Experience with immunofluorescence and imaging mass cytometry.
• Experience with RNA sequencing.
• Projects focus on the role of B cells and IgA in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with retroviral and lentiviral production and transduction.
• Experience with RNAi-based strategies for post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression.
• Experience with CRISPR/Cas9 techniques.
• Experience with or interest in modern techniques in high-dimensional data analysis.

Employment Details

• Temporary, 12-month appointment with the possibility of renewal.
• Normally limited to individuals awarded a PhD or equivalent doctorate within the previous five years.
• Full-time research or scholarship.
• Supervised by a senior scholar.
• Allows for publication of research results.
• Exempt-level, benefited position.
• Must be performed fully on-site in Charlottesville, VA.