Postdoctoral Research Associate – Cell and Molecular Biology
Fantastic opportunity to join the School of Medical Sciences as a Post-doctoral Research Associate.
About the opportunity
The School of Medical Sciences is looking for an enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher to join the NeuroMolecular Discovery Group to support research investigating neurodegenerative diseases. The position will be based in the Charles Perkins Centre, a state-of-the-art research facility located on the University of Sydney’s Camperdown campus.
The NeuroMolecular Discovery Group
The lab, led by Dr. Rebecca San Gil, is dedicated to discovering genes and proteins with therapeutic potential to combat neurodegenerative diseases, particularly motor neuron disease and frontotemporal dementia. This role presents an opportunity to contribute to the establishment of a new laboratory and work together with a team of motivated individuals to develop novel treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
The role
We are seeking to appoint a Post-doctoral Research Associate with advanced skills in cell and molecular biology within the School of Medical Sciences. The postdoctoral researcher will investigate disease pathways to develop novel therapeutic strategies that target protein aggregation in neurodegenerative disease models. This will be achieved through the application of advanced CRISPR gene- and transcript-editing technologies to manipulate neuronal biochemistry and physiology, thereby enabling the generation of impactful discoveries that inform future preclinical studies.
Your key responsibilities will be to :
* conduct high-impact research and professional activities, independently and as part of a team, to contribute to discipline knowledge
* develop and refine independent research skills under the supervision of more senior academic staff
* contribute to the analysis and interpretation of data to inform future research, prepare publications, and develop grant / fellowship project proposals
* commitment to maintaining research integrity and excellence in various techniques, such as cell culture, gene / transcript editing, microscopy, and other advanced molecular techniques
* maintain a continuous awareness of emerging literature relevant to the project and field of research
* provide formal / informal mentoring and advice to students within discipline
* carry out administrative tasks and contribute to faculty / school meetings and the strategic direction of the Faculty / School / Portfolio
* contribute to a positive workplace culture in which diversity of thought, contribution, collaboration, excellence and achieving outcomes are valued and enabled
About you
* PhD in a relevant area of cell and molecular biology or neuroscience
* demonstrated expertise in bacterial culture, plasmid preparation, cell culture of immortalised cells lines, culture of iPSC and iPSC-derived human neurons, transfection of cells / neurons with plasmid DNA, lentiviral particle preparation, and cell lysis for protein extraction or RNA purification.
* demonstrated experience with immunocytochemistry, fluorescence microscopy (including confocal microscopy and high content systems), immunoblotting, qPCR, FACS, flow cytometry, proteomics, and transcriptomics.
* experience in using software for the design of plasmid DNA constructs (e.g., lentiviral or AAV backbones) for a variety of applications including over-expression of genes / proteins of interest
* demonstrated experience applying DNA- and RNA-targeting CRISPR technologies for gene knockout, knockdown, activation, editing, and / or insertion
* demonstrated experience using software for the statistical analysis, interpretation, and visualisation of multiparametric data (e.g., GraphPad Prism, R Studio) including proteomics, transcriptomics, and / or datasets from high content imaging.
* ability to work independently and multi-task experiments while meeting timelines; self-motivated and independent thinking with enthusiasm to achieve research goals; demonstrated capacity to work effectively both with or without direct supervision and as part of a team.
* excellent written and verbal communication, record-keeping, and organisational skills
* ability and willingness to learn new techniques and optimise experimental approaches
* awareness of laboratory safety, and occupational health and safety protocols, contributes to the safe and efficient operation of research equipment, infrastructure, methodologies and protocols.
* Prior experience working in the field of neuroscience and / or neurodegeneration and / or MND and FTD
* Experience with neurophysiological recordings from neuronal cultures including multielectrode array (MEA)
* Track record of first-author publication / s
* Participation and presentation in local or national symposia / conferences
* Awards for research excellence or success in local or national funding schemes
How to apply
Applications (including a cover letter, CV, and your responses to the “about you” section) can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page.
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