Post-Doctoral Researcher

Benefits

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus mental health support
• Work-Life Balance: PTO, paid holidays, flexible work arrangements
• Financial Wellness: Competitive salary, 403(b) with company match
• Professional Development: Ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, and career advancement paths
• Additional Perks: Wellness programs, commuter benefits, and a vibrant company culture

Join Howard University and thrive with us!

JOB PURPOSE

The purpose of this position is to support and expand the university’s research portfolio in the areas of sickle cell disease (SCD), iron metabolism, and host–microbiome interactions through applied bioinformatics and molecular biology. This role plays a key part in advancing precision medicine approaches, integrating clinical and genomic data to better understand complications like iron overload and microbiome in SCD patients.

SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY

This position may supervise or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in laboratory and data analysis settings. It may also coordinate collaborative research efforts and provide technical guidance on genomics and bioinformatics workflows.

NATURE AND SCOPE

Internal contacts: Faculty, graduate students, undergraduates, core facility staff, IRB and research compliance staff. External contacts: Collaborators, bioinformatics platform developers, research institutions involved in SCD or microbiome studies, and funding agencies such as NIH and NSF.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Perform integrated bioinformatics analysis of genomic, transcriptomic, and microbiome data related to sickle cell disease.
• Contribute to research on the microbial composition and functional pathways associated with SCD’s vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs).
• Support development of polygenic risk scores (PRS) and predictive models for iron overload in SCD patients.
• Apply analytical pipelines to clinical and experimental datasets.
• Contribute to manuscript preparation, conference abstracts, and grant applications.
• Assist in managing daily lab operations, including equipment maintenance, supply inventory, and safety compliance.
• Assist with research design, IRB protocols, data collection, and statistical analysis in collaborative projects.
• Coordinate activities among undergraduate/graduate researchers, ensuring experimental timelines met and protocols followed.
• Support data organization, recordkeeping, and compliance with institutional research guidelines.
• Help train new lab members in standard operating procedures and experimental techniques.
• Participate in the instruction and mentorship of students in the lab and courses of biostatistics and bioinformatics.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Expertise in molecular biology
• Proficiency in bioinformatics tools and platforms
• Familiarity with clinical genomics and microbiome study in SCD
• Understanding of polygenic risk modeling and data integration strategies
• Effective communicator with experience in teaching and mentoring students
• Strong organizational and collaborative research skills

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Ph.D. in Microbiology, Genomics, Bioinformatics, or a related biomedical field
• Background in clinical medicine
• Demonstrated experience in omics data analysis, particularly related to hematologic or immunologic diseases
• Knowledge of iron metabolism, hemoglobinopathies, or microbiome research
• Familiarity with cell culture, PCR, flow cytometry, and molecular cloning techniques
• Prior experience assisting with undergraduate teaching or lab instruction
• Strong written and verbal communication skills