Post-Doctoral Associate - Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology

About the Job

The Duca Lab (https://med.umn.edu/bio/frank-duca) in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology at the University of Minnesota is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Associate to join our team. Funded by NIH and USDA, this position offers an exciting opportunity to conduct cutting-edge multidisciplinary research that combines physiology, neuroscience, nutritional sciences, and microbiology.

The Duca lab is extremely interested in how dietary and environmental exposures impact the development of obesity and diabetes. Specifically, using a variety of sophisticated in-vivo approaches, our lab examines how gut-brain signaling influence both energy and glucose homeostasis either via the peripheral nervous system or acting at the brain via circulating factors. We are extremely interested in how different dietary components, like fat, sugar, and fiber, impact metabolic homeostasis, and how the gut microbiome mediates these impacts. We study how probiotics, prebiotics, or metabolites produced from the gut microbiome affect host metabolism either directly at the intestine, or remotely at the peripheral nervous system, liver, or brain. Additionally, we examine how exposure to different environmental xenobiotics, like herbicides, pesticides, or antimicrobials impact the gut microbiome and subsequent host health. More recently, we have begun exploring how the gut-brain axis bidirectionally regulates development of certain cancers.

Position Overview:

We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic scientist that is interested in learning more about the gut-brain axis and metabolic disease. In this role, you will have the opportunity to work on several exciting projects examining the impact of the gut microbiome on gut-brain signaling pathways, and learn sophisticated surgical techniques and in-vivo techniques for mice and rats, like vascular and intestinal cannulations, ganglia injections, glucose clamps, and use of Sable Promethion indirect calorimetry system. The Duca Lab is a very collaborative group and you will have opportunities to mentor undergraduate and graduate students. Previous experience in metabolic disease, neuroscience, or gut microbiome research is preferred. The majority of work will be in-vivo in rodent models, therefore experience with rodent surgery is preferred, especially stereotaxic or vascular cannulation.

Potential projects include but are not limited to: effect of bacterially derived metabolites on peripheral nervous system and CNS function, better understanding gut vagal sensory pathways, studying the impact of dietary fiber on enteroendocrine cell function and signaling, impact of diet and gut microbiome on success of GLP-1R agonists, and role of gut-brain axis in intestinal cancers.

Responsibilities Include:

Research- 90%

• Conduct animal (rat and mouse) handling, husbandry, breeding, colony maintenance, behavioral testing, including, but not limited to metabolic phenotyping, body composition, food intake and preference measurements, glucose clamps, glucose tolerance tests, and cognitive and anxiety/addiction potency testing.

• Assist with and eventually independently perform various survival surgeries: vascular surgery, intestinal cannulations, stereotaxic surgery, and nodose and dorsal root ganglia injections.

• Chemogenetic and optogenetic studies

• Inject various compounds and solutions into experimental animals.

• Collect tissue and fluid samples (e.g., body fat, brain tissue, blood) from experimental animals; store and analyze the tissue (e.g., ESLISA kits, PCR, immunohistochemistry, RNAscope).

• Potential multi-omic bioinformatic analyses: gut microbiome, RNAseq, scRNAseq, and metabolomics

• Keep meticulously detailed records of all experiments and procedures in a laboratory notebook; perform statistical analyses of data obtained from experiments and render interpretations of the data.

Mentoring - 10%

• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students to help with various projects.

• Instruct students, fellows and other inexperienced professional persons in proper laboratory methods and procedures.

Writing and Presenting - 10%

• Present research summary in national and international meetings in oral and poster format by preparing abstracts and slides for presentation.

• Write manuscripts

• Apply for postdoctoral fellowships or external grants under the guidance of PI.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• A Doctorate Degree (PhD, which is completed within the last 3 years) in relevant scientific fields (neuroscience, physiology, nutrition, or related field)

• Previous lab experience

• Knowledge of the basic principles of biological science is required to assess observations, prepare specimens, run a variety of behavioral and biological assays, interpret the results of standardized tests, etc.

• Sufficient knowledge of the physiology of rats and mice is necessary in order to induce anesthesia, perform surgeries, and collect tissue and/or fluid samples

• Must possess or be able to readily obtain certification to perform animal studies and procedures

• Sufficient knowledge of mathematics and statistics is required to analyze and interpret test results.

• Knowledge and skill sufficient to maintain and operate standard instruments (fluorescence microscopes, pH meters, etc).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Specific research experience in: metabolic disease and metabolism, neuroscience, gastrointestinal tract and gut microbiome

• Prior survival surgical experience with rodents, like stereotaxic or vascular catheterization

• Neuroscience techniques related to gut-brain axis: patch clamp, two photon microscopy, etc

• Experience in histological techniques like immunohistochemistry and FISH (RNAScope)

• Bioinformatic experience for RNAseq or gut microbiome analyses

• Experience with manuscript and grant writing is a plus.

About the Department

The Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology's research centers on integrative systems biology of the heart and vasculature, including the close linkages among cardiovascular diseases and obesity, diabetes and metabolism at the whole animal level. The department is ideally positioned to bridge basic science discoveries to clinically relevant applications, spanning from academia to our neighbors in the biomedical industry.

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $63,480 - $69,180 annually ; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Please visit the Benefits for Postdoctoral Candidates website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training
• Medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost

How To Apply

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.