Position Summary:
TheLafrenaye Lab is hiring a postdoctoral position to work with both translationalrat and pig models of traumatic brain injury in investigations focusing on histopathological,cognitive, and sensory changes following diffuse brain injury and how thesechanges could be mitigated with various treatment strategies. This postdoc willwork with a collaborative research group (both in the lab, at VCU, and atexternal institutions, at the Richmond VAMC) to help guide these studies, perform animal surgeries, histological and molecular processing/assessment, andsingle-nucleus RNA sequencing for experiments of traumatic brain injurypathology. The ideal candidate will have experience with animal surgery, glialassessments (molecular and/or histological), RNA sequencing/bioinformatics,and/or assessments of diffuse brain-injury-induced pathologies. The duration of the postdoc is dependent uponfunding.
Core Responsibilities:
1.) Assistwith and conduct pig surgical and behavioral procedures
- Conduct the surgical preparation, traumaticbrain injury induction, and physiological monitoring of pigs and rats
- Conduct behavioral assessments in pigs and rats
- Participate in the post-injury recoverymonitoring and assessment of pigs and rats
2.) Quantitativehistological, molecular, and genetic analysis of pig, rat, and humanpost-mortem tissue
- Prepare, process, and analyze pig, rat, andhuman tissue microscopic samples
- Prepare, process, and analyze pig and rat brainfor molecular assessments, including western blotting and ELISAs
- Work with the PI and various collaborators toprepare, process, and analyze RNA sequencing data from pigs, rats, and humans
3.) Quantitativeanalysis of pig and rat behavior
- Participate in running, analyzing, and trainundergraduates to analyze recorded behavioral assessments
4.) Assisting in training students in the laboratory
- Mentoring trainees with technical issuesinvolved in animal handling, surgery, behavioral tasks, histochemistry, westernblotting, and other quantitative assessments used in the lab
- Properly demonstrating safe lab techniques andbest practices
- Engaging with trainees about proper researchconduct, grant and/or manuscript writing, and other “soft” skills necessary forsuccessful research
5.) Assistwith laboratory maintenance and management
- Assist the PI and Senior lab tech withday-to-day maintenance and workflow of the lab
- Assist the PI and Senior lab tech with verifyingthat the laboratory and surgical spaces remain clean and functional
- Help the PI Senior lab tech update and implementbest 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 ofbrain 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 atranslational or basic research lab work a focus on traumatic brain or spinalcord injury
- Demonstrated experience working with microglial andastrocyte assessments in histological samples
- Demonstrated experience with live animal surgery
- Demonstrated experience training students in wetlab research
- Demonstrated bioinformatics experience,specifically in regard to single-nucleus RNA sequencing
- Demonstrated ability to help guide a projectindependently
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!
Salary Range: Commensurate with experience starting at $62,232
Position Details:
Department: Neuroscience and Anatomy
Employment Type: PD - Post Doc
Restricted Status: Yes
FTE:
Exemption Status: Exempt
Contact Information:
Contact Name: SOMHR
Contact Email:
Contact Phone:
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Virginia Commonwealth University