Post-Doctoral Fellow - School of Medicine, Neuroscience and Anatomy

Position Summary:

The Lafrenaye Lab is hiring a postdoctoral position to work with both translational rat and pig models of traumatic brain injury in investigations focusing on histopathological, cognitive, and sensory changes following diffuse brain injury and how these changes could be mitigated with various treatment strategies. This postdoc will work with a collaborative research group (both in the lab, at VCU, and at external institutions, at the Richmond VAMC) to help guide these studies, perform animal surgeries, histological and molecular processing/assessment, and single-nucleus RNA sequencing for experiments of traumatic brain injury pathology. The ideal candidate will have experience with animal surgery, glial assessments (molecular and/or histological), RNA sequencing/bioinformatics, and/or assessments of diffuse brain-injury-induced pathologies. The duration of the postdoc is dependent upon funding.

Core Responsibilities:

1.) Assist with and conduct pig surgical and behavioral procedures

• Conduct the surgical preparation, traumatic brain injury induction, and physiological monitoring of pigs and rats
• Conduct behavioral assessments in pigs and rats
• Participate in the post-injury recovery monitoring and assessment of pigs and rats

2.) Quantitative histological, molecular, and genetic analysis of pig, rat, and human post-mortem tissue

• Prepare, process, and analyze pig, rat, and human tissue microscopic samples
• Prepare, process, and analyze pig and rat brain for molecular assessments, including western blotting and ELISAs
• Work with the PI and various collaborators to prepare, process, and analyze RNA sequencing data from pigs, rats, and humans

3.) Quantitative analysis of pig and rat behavior

• Participate in running, analyzing, and train undergraduates to analyze recorded behavioral assessments

4.) Assisting in training students in the laboratory

• Mentoring trainees with technical issues involved in animal handling, surgery, behavioral tasks, histochemistry, western blotting, and other quantitative assessments used in the lab
• Properly demonstrating safe lab techniques and best practices
• Engaging with trainees about proper research conduct, grant and/or manuscript writing, and other “soft” skills necessary for successful research

5.) Assist with laboratory maintenance and management

• Assist the PI and Senior lab tech with day-to-day maintenance and workflow of the lab
• Assist the PI and Senior lab tech with verifying that the laboratory and surgical spaces remain clean and functional
• Help the PI Senior lab tech update and implement best practices for data and protocol management

Minimum Hiring Standards:

• PhD or equivalent
• Demonstrated experience working in a basic or translational research laboratory
• Willingness to work with pig and rat models of brain injury as well as human postmortem tissue
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at VCU

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience working in a translational or basic research lab work a focus on traumatic brain or spinal cord injury
• Demonstrated experience working with microglial and astrocyte assessments in histological samples
• Demonstrated experience with live animal surgery
• Demonstrated experience training students in wet lab research
• Demonstrated bioinformatics experience, specifically in regard to single-nucleus RNA sequencing
• Demonstrated ability to help guide a project independently

Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity employer.

This is a restricted position with no set end date; continued employment is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance.

ORP Eligible: Yes

VCU is committed to hiring veterans! VCU will include a veteran's period(s) of military service in the calculation of their annual leave accrual rate. This may provide veterans with an increased leave accrual!