Assistant Professor - Peripheral Nerve PhD Scientist (Tenure or Research track)

University of Utah • Salt Lake City, UT

76d

About The Position

The Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Utah is seeking to hire a PhD Research Scientist for a tenure-track or research-track appointment in peripheral nerve research. In collaboration with Dr. Mark A. Mahan, the Research Scientist will lead a laboratory staff, including Lab Technician(s) and Post-Doctoral Research Associate(s). Roles would include development of protocols for future experiments, manuscript preparation, grant writing, oversight of the experiments, and lab personnel management. The goal of the position is to run an independent lab in close collaboration with a clinician-scientist. The lab currently has NIH, SBIR and University funding. Our research centers on non-healing nerve injuries. Neuroma-in-continuity (NIC) is a pathophysiologic outcome frequently associated with these injuries, where fibrosis and inflammation create a microenvironment which inhibits axonal regeneration, resulting in poor neurologic recovery. To overcome this gap from bench to clinic, we have developed a basic science model of failed peripheral nerve regeneration which mimics the clinical injury mechanism (rapid-stretch) and produces the unique and severe pathophysiology and associated neurologic deficits observed in the clinical population. We aim to leverage this translational model to characterize the cellular and molecular microenvironment of pathophysiologic nerve regeneration, with the hope of identifying novel therapeutic targets for clinical intervention to ameliorate patient outcomes. We are looking for an exceptional individual who wants to work in an independent research environment and be involved in high-impact research projects with clinical translation. Much of our research focuses on clinical applicability - and we envision that future grants will involve clinical trials and possible intellectual property.

Requirements

• Doctorate degree in biology, neuroscience, immunology, or bioengineering or other scientific discipline in a related field plus four years of experience or equivalency required.
• Demonstrated human relations and effective communication skills also required.
• Experience with flow cytometry.
• Experience with immunohistology.
• Experience with animal breeding, especially maintenance of transgenic animals.
• Experience with neurophysiology.
• Experience with behavioral testing.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in immunology.
• Experience in cell culture.
• Experience in peripheral nerve disorders.
• Strong preference for job applicants who hold a PhD in immunology or peripheral nerve disorders.

Responsibilities

• Co-develops scientific research projects, and acts as a lead scientist.
• Researches and stays current with project related scientific literature.
• Sets up new methods or assays to accomplish scientific objectives.
• Identifies and implements creative solutions to overcome problems.
• Organizes, interprets data and derives study conclusions.
• Manages and trains research staff to achieve research goals.
• Collaborates with internal and external investigators on multiple research projects ensuring scientific significance and feasibility.
• Summarizes results of clinical studies in the form of scientific abstracts and manuscripts.
• Serves as a resource to provide clinical and scientific information needed for various initiatives.
• Contributes to teaching activities by preparing and presenting educational seminars.
• Assists with grant proposal preparation by researching background, significance and planning statistics, and working with research administrators to meet deadlines.
• Attends national conferences and presents results of clinical studies.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree