Post-Doc Research Associate (Kelada)

About the job

Be a Tar Heel!

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development.

Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence. Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country.

UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage, paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance. Chapel Hill regularly ranks as one of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, a reputation guided by the diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

The UNC School of Medicine has a rich tradition of excellence and care. Our mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of North Carolinians, and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education, and research. We strive to promote faculty, staff, and learner development in a diverse, respectful environment where our colleagues demonstrate professionalism, enhance learning, and create personal and professional sustainability. We optimize our partnership with the UNC Health System through close collaboration and commitment to service. OUR VISION Our vision is to be the nation’s leading public school of medicine. We are ranked 2nd in primary care education among all US schools of medicine and 5th among public peers in NIH research funding. Our Allied Health Department is home to five top-ranked divisions, and we are home to 18 top-ranked clinical and basic science departments in NIH research funding. OUR MISSION Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education, and research. Patient Care: We will promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond. Education: We will prepare tomorrow’s health care professionals and biomedical researchers by facilitating learning within innovative curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education. We will cultivate outstanding teaching and research faculty, and we will recruit outstanding students and trainees from highly diverse backgrounds to create a socially responsible, highly skilled workforce. Research: We will develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers, and resources. We will provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our University to support outstanding research. We will foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic, and population research.

Position Summary

The Kelada Lab is seeking a post-doctoral associate to join their research program on the pulmonary response to the air pollutant ozone. In particular, we are looking for an associate with an interest in characterizing the role of genetic variation in response to ozone in mice. We seek to uncover mechanistic linkages between the genome (e.g., DNA sequence variants), epigenome (e.g., chromatin status), and gene expression elicited by the air pollutant ozone in vivo, and to understand how these parameters relate to hallmark ozone induced airway inflammation and injury phenotypes. More specifically, our project will leverage genetically diverse from the Collaborative Cross mouse genetics reference population to decipher new pathways by which ozone causes epigenomic and transcriptomic changes in alveolar macrophages that subsequently determine adverse pulmonary responses to ozone exposure.

We are looking for an enthusiastic post-doctoral associate to join this project and help lead efforts to generate and analyze these datasets. The successful candidate will gain experience in a number of cutting-edge genomic analyses techniques, become familiar with the Collaborative Cross mouse resource that is increasingly being used in many research disciplines including toxicology, and gain knowledge in the molecular effects of ozone on the airway.

The post-doctoral associate will have the opportunity to learn from lab members and other members of the pulmonary and toxicology research communities at UNC, which are exceptionally strong. The associate will also have the opportunity to work with a strong bioinformatics team at UNC to analyze the transcriptomic responses to ozone, and the research project and environment will provide ample opportunities for training in these approaches.

Importantly, these projects will provide training that will translate into future research projects for ambitious and motivated scientists with aspirations for their own independent research careers in academic or private company settings. In addition to research, the post-doctoral fellow will be actively involved with writing scientific papers and presenting talks at scientific meetings.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

PhD in Toxicology, Pharmacology, Immunology, or a related field.

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

Experience with in vitro and/or in vivo models of respiratory/inhalation exposure, including cellular readouts of exposure-induced pro-inflammatory signaling and/or gene expression.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

Experience analyzing high-throughput sequencing data (e.g., RNA-seq). Candidates must be self-motivated, enthusiastic, and should have strong communication skills.

Special Instructions

For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services click here

Postdoctoral Affairs Contact Information

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the University’s Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at (919) 962-9982 or send an email to opahr@unc.edu.

Please note: The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.