Post Doctoral Associate - Dermatology

University of Miami • Miami, FL

21h • Onsite

About The Position

The University of Miami/UHealth Department of Dermatology has an exciting opportunity for a full-time Postdoctoral Associate to work in Miami, Florida. The Postdoctoral Associate performs scientific research and studies under the supervision of managing staff. Moreover, the Postdoctoral Associate promotes institutional recognition through literal contributions to the scientific community. The Department of Dermatology at the University of Miami/UHealth invites applications for a full-time Postdoctoral Associate to join the laboratory of Dr. Rivka Stone MD PhD at the Wound Healing and Regeneration Research Program. The Stone Laboratory is engaged in two major funded areas of wound healing research: 1. Developing and validating skin tissue and systemic biomarkers of healing outcomes in chronic wounds 2. Modeling and mitigating acute and chronic cutaneous radiation injury. In the Stone Laboratory, you will focus on studying radiation induced skin injury. Radiation-induced skin fibrosis (RISF) is a late complication of radiotherapy for underlying malignancy, and a subset of patients develop devastating fibrotic disease years after undergoing treatment. Incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving radiation-associated fibrosis has slowed the identification of biomarkers indicating risk for severe fibrosis in patients, impeding development of mitigation strategies and targeted therapies to combat fibrotic damage. You will extend the preliminary work on murine in vivo and human ex vivo RISF models to explore, interrogate, and validate mechanisms and phenotypic readouts for RISF. In addition, you will spearhead the analyses of RISF patient skin biopsies obtained through ongoing clinical studies. Furthermore, under the umbrella of the Wound Healing and Regenerative Medicine Research Program, you will participate in the weekly joint laboratory meetings and have the opportunity to collaborate on translational projects across the spectrum of acute and chronic wound healing. You will benefit from the educational opportunities as well as the camaraderie, support, and collective wisdom of a dedicated group of researchers, postdocs, graduate students, residents, and faculty within the Department of Dermatology. As a member of a vibrant interdisciplinary team, you will work alongside leading researchers to uncover the molecular mechanisms that govern skin repair, with the goal of improving outcomes in wound healing and fibrotic skin diseases. This is an excellent opportunity for a highly motivated Ph.D.-level scientist interested in translational skin biology, with a focus on inflammation, fibrosis, and tissue repair.

Requirements

• MD or Ph.D. in relevant field
• No prior experience required
• Skill in collecting, organizing, and analyzing data.
• Ability to recognize, analyze, and solve a variety of problems.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment in making critical decisions.
• An MD or Ph.D. in biology, molecular biology, biomedical sciences, or a related field.
• Strong technical expertise in molecular and cellular biology techniques.
• A demonstrated ability to think critically, solve problems independently, and contribute creatively to research projects.
• Excellent organizational, oral, and written communication skills in English.
• A collaborative spirit and enthusiasm for team science.
• Recent Ph.D. graduates are encouraged to apply.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in bioinformatics and next-generation sequencing data analysis is helpful but not required.

Responsibilities

• Conducts research on specific areas of study as assigned.
• Prepares research reports and technical papers for publishing.
• Investigates the feasibility of applying a wide variety of scientific principles and theories.
• Maintains substantial knowledge of state-of-the-art principles and theories.
• Develops advanced analytical models and systems and provides solutions and analyses to support strategic and tactical decisions.
• Adheres to University and unit-level policies and procedures and safeguards University assets.
• Plan and conduct assigned and/or original research projects autonomously while working collaboratively with PI and members of the laboratory.
• Perform standard cell and molecular biology laboratory techniques including RNA isolation, real-time qPCR (experimental setup and data analysis), immunofluorescence and/or immunohistochemistry, sterile cell culture technique, western blots, flow cytometry.
• Perform genomic data analyses from next generation sequencing data (eg. RNAseq, scRNAseq, spatial ‘omics profiling)—prior experience with genomic data analysis is helpful but not required.
• Stay current on relevant scientific literature and contribute to the design of innovative experimental approaches.
• Collect, organize, analyze and draw conclusions from experimental data.
• Maintain accurate laboratory records and manage data using sound statistical and bioinformatics tools.
• Prepare manuscripts for publication and contribute to grant applications.
• Present research findings at internal seminars and national/international conferences.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive lab environment, while working independently on project milestones.

Benefits

• medical
• dental
• tuition remission

What This Job Offers

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