"Post-Doctoral Associate"

The Gale Laboratory at University of Minnesota aims to define the molecular mechanisms of innate immune activation and viral regulation of innate immunity, and to define therapeutic targets to inform research and development toward building innate immune therapeutics to combat virus infection. The laboratory studies cell culture, mouse models, nonhuman primate models, and human cohorts of virus infection and immunity. The lab works within specialized resources and administrative framework for performing cellular and animal BSL2, BSL3, BSL4 studies of a range of RNA viruses including flaviviruses, Hanta virus, influenza A viruses, SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, Ebola virus, chikungunya virus, SIV, and HIV. The lab also conducts functional genomics studies using high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNAseq) including ATCseq, CITEseq, bulk mRNAseq, and GeoMx spatial-seq approaches to define virus/host interactions, host genes of virus control, and therapeutic targets for infection control strategies.

Primary Duties

70% Research Primary duties and responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, studies of virus-host interactions using virus infection model systems. The project involves basic research and outbreak response isolating virus from primary specimens, developing and evaluating infection models, and leveraging animal models and human studies in systems biology approaches. The project applies functional genomics analyses of virus infection models with an overall goal to understand the mechanisms of innate immune activation and response for control of virus infection. The work also focused on understanding how the innate immune response programs the adaptive immune response to direct effective gene expression and humoral and cellular immune responses. The successful candidate will work in BSL2, BSL2+, and BSL3 environments, and will build and use viral vectors, expression constructs, and will prepare RNA-based therapeutics and vaccines, test small molecules, and assess vaccines in various model systems. The work also involves interaction with other lab member(s), participation in lab meetings, and overseeing the work of undergraduate students.

30% of the position includes data analysis, presentations, and manuscript preparation for reporting of experimental results. The successful candidate will use different computer programs and statistical tests to analyze the immune response in animals. Analysis of flow cytometry results will be done using FlowJo or Cyflogic programs and involves analysis of fluorescence readouts, live/dead cells discrimination and multi color compensation; analysis of functional genomics data sets will utilize a variety of computational applications.

Required Qualifications:

• A Ph.D. (or equivalent) degree in virology, microbiology, cell biology, immunology or a related field - Advanced knowledge in molecular, cellular biology, and virology techniques.
• Experience in immunological methods such as ELISA, antibody characterization, and western blot; proficiency in PCR amplification, cloning, protein expression and purification, and tissue culture techniques.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and organization skills with proficient scientific record keeping. Ability to work independently, pay attention to details, solve problems, work under pressure and manage multiple tasks.
• Experience and ability to analyze scientific data, present the research results and prepare manuscripts for publication.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in work with bacteria, human cells/tissues and viruses in a BL2+/BSL3 facility.
• Previous work with HIV-1/SIV, flaviviruses, alphaviruses, influenza A virus, and/or SARS-CoV-2 assays.
• Bioinformatics experience.
• Experience with writing and following an institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) and human subjects protocols.