A postdoctoral position is available for a Ph.D. level candidate at the University of North Carolina, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and the Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research Center. We are interested in functional characterization of the effect of nicotine on the innate defense of the lungs. This study will employ a broad range of biochemical, biophysical and molecular biological methods including, primary epithelial cell cultures, smoke, nicotine and new and emerging product exposure to cells, cell cultures, mass spectrometry, light scattering, confocal microscopy. Our laboratory in the Marsico Lung Institute is one of the best equipped and most focused mucin/mucus biochemistry and biophysics innate immunity laboratories in the USA. As such, it will provide the selected candidate with a unique opportunity to develop new skills and apply them to fundamental questions in innate lung defense.
Further department activities beyond Dr. Kesimer’s laboratory:
The three coequal missions of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine are to: 1) provide exceptional, comprehensive, clinically effective and cost effective pathology and laboratory medicine services to UNC HealthCare patients; 2) teach clinical and scientific concepts of pathology and laboratory medicine, and mechanisms of disease to a wide variety of learners, including medical students, postdoctoral residents, MD fellows, PhD graduate students, and undergraduate students; and 3) advance the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine, and the knowledge of diseases and disease mechanisms through innovative research spanning the spectrum from basic to translational to clinical.
The Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine performs anatomic and clinical diagnostic tests on both an inpatient and an outpatient basis, and performs autopsies, when requested by clinicians. The Department has a MD Residency Training Program in the Office of Graduate Medical Education. In the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department is responsible for the teaching of undergraduate level courses. In the Graduate School, the department has a graduate program in experimental pathology which offers both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.
This department is devoted to research in many diverse areas of expertise. Many of the research initiatives are nationally and internationally known, and the Chair is dedicated to further expansion of the breadth of the research endeavors. Most research is wholly managed and funded by contracts and grants within the Department.
Educational Requirements
Ph.D. or an equivalent degree, in a biological science or in a related discipline.
Qualifications and Experience
Applicants should have hands on experience with the effects of new and emerging tobacco products on the airway biology, exosome/vesicle biology, RNA isolation and analysis, protein separation and protein chemistry. Excellent oral and written communication and organizational skills, as well as the ability to get along with co-workers and faculty in multi-disciplinary research teams, are essential. Applicants should have demonstrated scientific productivity and be able to work independently from but cooperate closely with the primary investigator.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.
Special Instructions
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Please note: The Equal Employment Opportunity office will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.
