Assistant Scientist - Pediatrics

University of Miami•Miami, FL

13d•Onsite

About The Position

The University of Miami/UHealth Department of Pediatrics has an exciting opportunity for a full time Assistant Scientist to work in Miami, FL. The Assistant Scientist carries out a particular research agenda in support of the University’s research goals and objectives. Moreover, the Assistant Scientist, SOM contributes to the scientific community by publishing research findings and promotes the University’s reputation as a leader in the field. An NIH-funded research laboratory (PI: Merline Benny) at the Batchelor Children’s Research Institute is seeking a highly motivated Assistant Scientist to join a multidisciplinary team investigating the molecular mechanisms of vascular and cardiopulmonary disease in preterm-born survivors. The primary focus of the lab will be to understand how immunological and epigenetic mechanisms affect cardiovascular remodeling, determine if their manipulation ameliorates cardiovascular remodeling and translate our findings to develop novel therapeutics in cardiovascular dysfunction in premature infants.

Requirements

Strong background in molecular biology, immunology, cardiovascular biology or related fields
Experience with flow cytometry, including immunophenotyping and sorting immunology
Analyze and interpret complex datasets, ensuring rigorous experimental design and reproducibility.
Doctorate degree - Philosophy (PhD) required
Minimum 1 year of relevant experience required
Learning Agility: Ability to learn new procedures, technologies, and protocols, and adapt to changing priorities and work demands.
Teamwork: Ability to work collaboratively with others and contribute to a team environment.
Technical Proficiency: Skilled in using office software, technology, and relevant computer applications.
Communication: Strong and clear written and verbal communication skills for interacting with colleagues and stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience with epigenetics
Experience with CRISPR/Cas9 targeting strategies
Experience with RNA seq transcriptomics, scRNA seq, proteomics, lipidomics and imaging.

Responsibilities

Contributes to basic and applied research activities and authors scientific publications, technical and agency reports, and patent preparations.
Collaborates with senior staff to publish findings in refereed journals.
Creates and conducts experiments and analyzes results.
Works with other researchers to use and develop end products.
Writes extramural proposals with approval from appropriate senior staff.
Provides ready access to all experimental data for managing staff.
Requests or acquires equipment and supplies for assigned project(s).
Uses the internet, surveys, legal documents, and other available sources to collect information.
Applies for grants to continue research and prepares materials for submission to granting agencies and foundations.
Adheres to University and unit-level policies and procedures and safeguards University assets.
Design, conduct, and analyze experiments investigating cardiovascular mechanisms in neonatal research with a focus on endothelial dysfunction, vascular endothelial-smooth muscle cell interactions.
Develop and utilize animal models (e.g., knock-in mouse, endothelial-specific deletion) and human tissue analyses to study disease mechanisms and validate translational relevance.
Integrate molecular, cellular, and systems-level approaches to uncover causal pathways and therapeutic targets in cardiovascular diseases.
Leads the design, execution and reporting of 2-3 research projects in collaboration with PI. This includes developing hypothesis to be tested and ways of testing them.
Draft, edit, and submit scientific research grants and manuscripts for high-impact journals.
Prepare and present posters and oral presentations at national and international scientific meetings.
Present findings at international conferences and give invited talks at leading institutions.
Manage laboratory operations, including ordering supplies, maintaining equipment, and ensuring compliance with safety and regulatory standards.
Conduct statistical data analysis and interpretation using Graphpad Prism and other software.
Collaborate with principal investigators, research scientists, and external partners on multi-institutional projects.
Mentor undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in experimental design, molecular methodology, and data interpretation.
Provide hands-on training for medical biotechnology and PhD students, supporting their research projects and professional development.
Advance early vascular diagnostics and therapeutic innovation for vascular diseases.
Translate mechanistic discoveries into actionable strategies for cardiovascular diseases in premature infants.