Postdoctoral Research Associate – Heinzen Lab

Position Summary

The Heinzen laboratory in the Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, in collaboration with the Eshelman Institute for Innovation, in the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is looking to immediately fill multiple postdoctoral fellowship positions to study molecular mechanisms across multiple types of genetic epilepsies to identify convergent disease mechanisms and drug targets.

The successful candidates will be part of a highly interdisciplinary environment to develop induced pluripotent stem cell derived neuronal models of genetic epilepsies and apply cutting-edge technologies including electrophysiology, single-cell RNAseq, chromatin conformation capture technique, optogenetics, genetic encoded biosensors of neurotransmission, and live cell imaging, to study cellular and molecular signatures associated genetic epilepsies. Well-defined cellular and molecular signatures will be fed into the drug discovery pipeline and/or subjected to CRISPR-screens to identify druggable genetic modifiers as part of the Drug Discovery Initiative led by the Eshelman Institute of Innovation.

The ultimate goal is for postdoctoral fellows to develop specialized skill sets to drive independent research programs that can launch independent research careers

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

The position requires a Ph.D. in a biological sciences discipline (e.g., neuroscience, molecular biology, pharmacology, cell biology, molecular genetics), and a publication record demonstrating research productivity. Excellent communication, organization, writing, data analysis skills, and willingness to be part of collaborative team science skills are also essential.

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

Excellent communication, organization, writing, and willingness to be part of collaborative team science skills are also essential.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

The projects will involve a significant amount of laboratory bench work. Research experience with human induced pluripotent stem cell models preferred but not required.