Post Doctoral Fellow - Pharmacological & Pharmaceutic Department - (497013 )

piece of research equipment. 4. May review and evaluate the effectiveness of personnel. 5. May plan for and assign personnel to projects under control. 6. Operates with latitude for unreviewed action. 7. May receive general supervision conferring with higher levels only in unusual situations. 8. Performs other job-related duties as required. The Vedagopuram Research Group at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy seeks a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow to join a newly established, growing research program.

Dr. Sreekanth Vedagopuram is an Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry in the Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the College of Pharmacy, University of Houston.

Current Research Areas
Our lab develops bifunctional molecules that induce or modulate post-translational modifications to probe and control biomolecular function. We combine chemical biology, CRISPR technology, and drug delivery to uncover molecular mechanisms and new therapeutic strategies.

Our work spans three areas:
1. Bifunctional small molecules, including degraders and (de)phosphorylating molecules that control protein function
2. Chemical control of genome-editing proteins
3. Delivery platforms that shuttle therapeutic macromolecules into target cells.

Areas of Interest
We are seeking passionate and dedicated candidates with strong interest in:
• Chemical biology and targeted protein degradation
• Induced-proximity technologies
• Medicinal and synthetic chemistry
• CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing and transcription control
• Protein engineering
• Drug and macromolecule delivery

Qualifications
Applicants should possess:
• A Ph.D. in chemistry, chemical biology, biochemistry, cell biology, biotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences, or a related field
• Strong foundational skills in synthetic chemistry, [or] molecular and cell biology, and/or protein biochemistry
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• A strong work ethic and enthusiasm for scientific research

Experience with one or more of the following is desirable, but not required:
1) Synthetic/ medicinal chemistry: Experience with organic synthesis, small-molecule design, and structure-activity relationship studies. Candidates with a chemistry background who are interested in learning cell and molecular biology are preferred.
2) Protein engineering: Experience with protein expression, purification, and engineering, including fusion constructs or bioconjugation
3) Molecular biology and CRISPR/ genome editing: Experience with CRISPR-Cas9 systems, genome-editing assays in mammalian cells, and various cloning techniques.
4) Biochemistry and assay development: Experience developing assays to probe post-translational modifications, protein-protein interactions, or induced-proximity systems. Experience with standard biochemical techniques (e.g., Western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation, enzymatic assays)
5) Cell culture: Experience with mammalian cell culture, transfection, dose-response assays, ternary complex assays.
6) Drug/ macromolecule delivery: Experience with delivery platforms for nucleic acids, proteins, or other macromolecular cargo.
Successful candidates should be highly motivated, intellectually curious, and committed to pursuing innovative and impactful research.

MQ: Requires singular knowledge of a specialized advanced professional discipline or the highest level of general business knowledge, normally acquired through attainment of a directly job-related terminal degree or equivalent formal training in a recognized field of specialization that is directly related to the type of work being performed.
No experience is required.

All positions at the University of Houston-System are security sensitive and will require a criminal history check.

The University of Houston System and its universities are Equal Opportunity Institutions. Everyone is encouraged to apply.