Postdoctoral Research Fellow - University of California, San Diego
A full time postdoctoral research fellow position is available to do translational research in a zebrafish model of wet macular degeneration. The Principal Investigator is an energetic junior clinician scientist faculty at the Shiley Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology at UCSD and retinal surgeon whose laboratory focuses on interdisciplinary translational research using zebrafish to create models of retinal disease. He is enthusiastic and eager to work with individuals who share his interest in translational research to find new treatments for retinal disease, and committed to help mentor individuals toward either an academic or industry position. His biography can be found here. http://shileyeye.ucsd.edu/faculty/daniel-chao
The project involves characterization of retinal vascular phenotypes using in vivo time lapse imaging, angiography, histology, and OCT, creation of transgenic zebrafish lines, as well as execution of a small molecule screen in zebrafish embryos.
The successful candidate must have excellent written and oral communication skills, be very organized, meticulous, self-motivated, capable of working in a group/collaborative setting but with capacity for independent work.
UCSD is an exceptional scientific community with multiple labs focused on vision research at the Shiley Eye Institute. There is an outstanding zebrafish community with 4 well established zebrafish laboratories which is highly collaborative. The PI works closely with the laboratories of David Traver and Farhad Imam at UCSD.
Responsibilities of this position will include planning, execution, and presentation of experiments involving:
Zebrafish husbandry, breeding
Creation of transgenic zebrafish lines
Analysis of zebrafish retinal phenotypes using in vivo time lapse imaging, angiography, histology, and OCT
Dissociation and FACS sorting of zebrafish embryos
Gene expression and RNA Seq techniques
Molecular biology and gene editing techniques
Optimizing techniques to perform high throughput small molecule screening in zebrafish
Collaboration with other scientists in testing compounds in cell culture and rodent models of retinal disease
The qualified candidate will have earned a doctoral degree in cell biology or neurobiology, or a closely-related field, must provide proof of U.S. citizenship or current eligibility to work in the United States, and be available after July 1st, 2017 to apply. This is a full-time appointment, with occasional weekend hours for management of experiments. A 2-year minimum commitment is strongly preferred.
This is an excellent opportunity for individuals interested in future careers in translational science to gain experience in a stimulating and interactive lab environment. A competitive salary will be offered based on experience with a generous benefits package offered by UCSD School of Medicine. Enjoy living in sunny southern California in America’s finest city.
Candidates should send a letter of interest, including a one-page cover letter* (see notes below) and a curriculum vitae, to Dr. Daniel Chao at dlchao@ucsd.edu.
*In the cover letter, please briefly describe your research experience, reason(s) for seeking this position, and future career goals. Please also include some unique skills that do not make it to your CV and some personal hobbies.