Job Details

Posting Number: PG191601PD

Position Number: 00111795

Position Type: Post Doc

Department: 196001 - Department of Population Health and Pathobiology

Job City & State: Raleigh, NC

Essential Job Duties:

We are looking for independent and highly motivated candidate to join our active and vibrant laboratory. The primary research focus of our laboratory is to study the host innate immune response as a barrier to cross-species retrovirus transmission in the non-human primates. We employ cutting-edge and novel, innovative approaches to study the replication of chimeric SIV/HIV viruses (SHIVs) in the macaque model of HIV-1 infection. Our laboratory is tackling a fundamental weakness in the HIV-1/AIDS field that affects all downstream aspects of HIV-1 pathogenesis, vaccine, and prevention research by developing more relevant SHIV/macaque models of HIV-1 infection.

The fully-funded project available for the postdoctoral fellow is to characterize the viral and host factors that drive selection, adaptation, and pathogenicity of HIV-1 and SHIVs (Sharma et al, PLOS Pathogens 2019, Vilmen et al, mBio 2022). The project will also focus on uncovering the molecular and mechanistic basis of adaptation of SHIVs to the macaque innate and adaptive immune responses (Sharma et al, J Med Primatol., 2015, Boyd et al, PLOS Pathogens 2016). This research project is highly interdisciplinary and built on the conceptual and technical skills from multiple unique fields of research – it combines expertise in HIV-1 transmission biology, translational immunology, and epidemiology with basic training in HIV-1 molecular virology, host cell biology and characterization of viral-host interactions.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Research related to virology.
• 80% Research: Participates in experimental research focusing on studying host innate immune responses as a barrier to cross-species retrovirus transmission in the non-human primates; characterizes the viral and host factors that drive selection, adaptation, and pathogenicity of SHIVs in macaque cells ex vivo; uncover the molecular and mechanistic basis of adaptation of SHIVs to the macaque innate and adaptive immune responses; generates experimental data to support publications, PI’s current active and future grant proposals and seek opportunities for independent funding.
• 15% Writing: Assists in the preparation of research reports, manuscripts, seminars, and presentations for ongoing research progress.
• 5% Other organizational and lab management duties as assigned.
• Successful completion of a University background check is required.
• Requires weekend, nights, and/or holiday hours

Work Schedule:

40 hours per week. Work shift may vary based on experiments. Some weekend required based on ongoing experiments and grant deadlines.

Preferred Years Experience, Skills, Training, Education:

Past experience in HIV field strongly preferred. Strong publication record. Excellent writing, communication, and organizational skills. Candidates with experience in protein purification and biochemical/biophysical characterization of Envelope glycoproteins and membranes are encouraged to apply.