Post Doctoral Researcher, School of Medicine, Neurology

Post Doctoral Researcher

School of Medicine, Neurology

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU’s sponsored research, the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient care and education. VCU School of Medicine comprises 18 clinical departments, eight basic health science departments, and 11 affiliated institutes and centers, and provides preeminent education to physicians and scientists in order to improve the quality of healthcare for humanity.

The Postdoctoral Researcher is an individual who has completed doctoral level training in basic or translational sciences and will engage in basic science or biomedical research under the supervision of a principal investigator.

Core Responsibilities:

-(85%)

• Assist the principal investigator in attaining the goals of specified research by participating in research planning and proposal writing.
• Conduct basic science, biomedical or translational research as agreed upon with the principal investigator.
• Conduct research involving animals including but not limited to animal husbandry of inbred and transgenic strains of animalsand working with animal models of disease including disease induction, treatment and tissue acquisition and analysis.
• Scientific manuscript preparation: critical review of the literature; drafting and revising the manuscript; responding to review critiques.

-(15%)

• Prepare complete documentation of research activities for reference purposes, including following applicable data management protocols.
• Lab maintenance, including equipment maintenance, and ordering of supplies as needed.

Minimum Hiring Standards:

• Doctoral (PhD) degree or equivalent in a field of basic or biomedical science required.
• Must be able to meet eligibility requirements for work in the United States at the time the
appointment is scheduled to begin and to continue working legally for the proposed term of the
appointment.
• Adherence to scientific method including striving for consistency, reproducibility, integrity and transparency
• Demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrate the ability to respect and engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Research background and in-depth knowledge in the field of neuroimmunology, immunology or neuroscience.
• Proficiency with analytical methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time PCR, immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis.
• Prior experience with cell culture methods and experimental animal research.
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills.
• Scientific writing skills demonstrated through authorship on peer-reviewed scientific publications.

Additional Information:

Open until filled.

Position Tenure: 1 year; may be extended

This is a restricted position with no set end date and continued employment is dependent upon project needs, availability of funds, 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!

Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability.

Please note that if you are employed as a university employee working in any of the health system's facilities, you will need to follow VCU Health System policies, which will include but will not be limited to, vaccination requirements.

Benefits
Full-time employees at VCU have available a variety of benefits options that include group health, dental, life and disability insurance, retirement plans, flexible reimbursement accounts, a 403(b) tax-deferred annuity and 457 deferred compensation plans. Detailed information about each benefit can be found at https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/benefits/postdoctoral-employee-benefits/

The School of Medicine continuously strives for our workplace and learning environment to reflect the demographic and social milieu of the communities we serve. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.