Post-Doc Research Associate

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • Chapel Hill, NC

29d

About The Position

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development. Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence. Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country. UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage, paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance. Chapel Hill regularly ranks as one of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, a reputation guided by the diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community. Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit The Department of Biology at UNC-Chapel Hill is dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of new and existing knowledge in the broad discipline of Biology by maintaining a high-quality faculty who integrate cutting-edge research and student-focused teaching. We are one of the largest academic departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. We have over 3,450 majors and we enroll undergraduate students in over 7,870 seats in our classes each semester. Each fall or spring semester, we offer 52 classes (70 sections) and 13 lab courses (93 sections). Our average total annual expenditure exceeds $24 million, with nearly half of that coming from grant sponsored research. Our department has nearly $70 million in active grants to support our twin missions of research and teaching. Our large research base spans many areas of biology and supports several outstanding graduate programs. We consist of 48 tenure-track faculty, 12 teaching faculty, 5 research faculty, and numerous active adjunct and emeritus faculty who are engaged in basic and interdisciplinary research and teaching, both within the department and between other departments and schools at UNC. We currently have 50 graduate students and 30 post-docs and employ approximately 85 additional graduate and undergraduate students from across the university to assist in our teaching and research missions. Further, we are supported by an administrative staff of 20, with an additional 20 staff directly supporting research. Applicants can read about the Ben Parker lab and research at https://parkerlab.net. Position Summary The researcher will be primarily responsible for carrying out investigations related to our lab's research, using an insect model system (aphids) to address mechanistic and evolutionary genetic questions about animal-microbe interactions. The researcher will use molecular, genomic, and experimental techniques in their research. The research associate will collect data, communicate with other investigators, write reports and manuscripts, and assist in advising and training of graduate and undergraduate research students.

Requirements

• A PhD in ecology and evolution, microbiology, entomology, or a related field must be completed by the starting date of the position.
• The candidate is expected to have experience with molecular biology and/or genomics.

Nice To Haves

• Experience publishing peer-reviewed scientific papers focused on host-microbe interactions and evolution would be seen as a strong attribute.

Responsibilities

• carrying out investigations related to our lab's research
• using an insect model system (aphids) to address mechanistic and evolutionary genetic questions about animal-microbe interactions
• using molecular, genomic, and experimental techniques in their research
• collect data
• communicate with other investigators
• write reports and manuscripts
• assist in advising and training of graduate and undergraduate research students

Benefits

• UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage, paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees