Post Doctoral Associate, DRI

About the Role

The Postdoctoral Associate performs scientific research and studies under the supervision of managing staff, promoting institutional recognition through contributions to the scientific community. This is a first-year postdoctoral appointment.

Key Responsibilities

• Conducts research on specific areas of study as assigned.
• Prepares research reports and technical papers for publishing.
• Investigates the feasibility of applying a wide variety of scientific principles and theories.
• Maintains substantial knowledge of state-of-the-art principles and theories.
• Develops advanced analytical models and systems and provides solutions and analyses to support strategic and tactical decisions.
• Adheres to University and unit-level policies and procedures and safeguards University assets.

Department Specific Functions

• Procure, culture, and manipulate human and mouse pancreatic slices, including viral transduction for genetic labeling, reporter expression, and functional studies.
• Design and execute spatial transcriptomics experiments using the Visium HD and Xenium platforms, and analyze and integrate the resulting datasets.
• Perform calcium imaging and other physiological assays to evaluate endocrine cell function within pancreatic tissue.
• Conduct high-end intravital imaging studies in mouse models and perform image processing and quantitative analysis using Volocity software.
• Prepare manuscripts for publication in high-impact journals and contribute to grant applications and progress reports.
• Present research findings at laboratory meetings, institutional seminars, and national and international scientific conferences.
• Maintain accurate and detailed records of experiments and data in accordance with laboratory and institutional standards.
• Comply with all institutional and regulatory requirements governing research involving human tissue, laboratory animals, and biohazardous materials, including viral vectors.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Ph.D. in Regenerative Medicine required, with doctoral research conducted in the context of diabetes.
• Degree must have been conferred within the 12 months preceding the appointment start date, or candidates may apply if they have successfully defended their doctoral thesis.
• At least 3 publications in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals (first authorship not required).
• Hands-on experience in the procurement, culture, and manipulation of human and mouse pancreatic slices, including viral transduction.
• Hands-on experience with spatial transcriptomics approaches, including the Visium HD and Xenium platforms.
• First-hand experience with calcium imaging and other physiological techniques.
• First-hand experience with high-end intravital imaging and with the Volocity imaging software.

Qualifications

• Skill in collecting, organizing, and analyzing data.
• Ability to recognize, analyze, and solve a variety of problems.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment in making critical decisions.
• Excellent scientific writing skills, demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications and the preparation of manuscripts and research reports.
• Excellent public presentation skills, with the ability to communicate research findings clearly to scientific and general audiences.