Post-Doctoral Research Fellow - Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology

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.

VCU School of Medicine is searching for a Post-Doctoral Researcher with expertise and interests to join a research team focused on high throughput human and pathogen genomics.

Position Summary :

The team is particularly focused on : 1) developing and applying high throughput DNA and RNA sequencing to characterize genome variants with relevance to pathogen evolution, infectivity, and transmission;

and 2) elucidating human gene expression patterns in response to colonization by different microbial taxa. As a part of our work in the CDC-funded Pathogen Genomics Center of Excellence, particular attention is focused on respiratory pathogens including, but not limited to : Sars-CoV-2, Hepatitis A virus, Influenza Viruses.

The successful applicant will also participate on studies of the human microbiome and its effect on human health, with a particular focus on the microbiome of the female reproductive tract.

Primary Responsibilities :

Responsibilities among other objectives will include bioinformatics analysis of high throughput DNA / RNA sequence data, assembling viral, bacterial and other microbial pathogen genomes from complex sequencing data sets, comprehensive annotation of pathogen genomes, identification and characterization of genomic variations in pathogen genomes, developing of classification schemes for such variants, and assessing the impact of sequence variants on human gene expression and genome function.

Some experience with sequence data analysis will be conducive to a high level of productivity in our project. Analysis of human sequences generated by high throughput sequencing, including RNA Seq, Methyl Seq, single cell and spatial analysis, etc., is a plus.

Required Hiring Standards :

• An experienced molecular biologist comfortable with wet lab aspects of high throughput sequencing
• Experienced in cell and molecular biology
• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Molecular Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or related field
• Must have a demonstrated commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in past experiences or a commitment to do so as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at VCU

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.

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

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!

ORP Eligible : Yes