Post-Doctoral Fellow

University of Colorado • Aurora, CO

3h • Onsite

About The Position

A core mission of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is to carry out cutting-edge basic, translational, and clinical research and train the next generation of scientists. Dr. Eric Poeschla’s laboratory investigates cellular proteins involved in viral replication cycles (HIV-1, other positive strand RNA viruses). Current focus is on innate immune system factors that mediate frontline antiviral defenses and prevent cross-species virus transmission. The lab has pioneered new in vivo models of safe innate immune activation. It now has new specific grant funding, starting in June 2026, to work on therapeutically ‘reprograming’ a cellular antiviral system that senses and responds to viral dsRNA (MDA5) to protect people against known and future unknown viruses. The lab utilizes both murine and cell culture models of infection and/or innate immune activation and conducts research spanning from basic to translational. The lab is currently seeking a talented and enthusiastic post-doc to build off a newly-funded project aimed at identification and rational design of MDA5 agonists that can be expressed and delivered — in a range of models including cell line, small animal, and respiratory organoid models — to enable pathogen agnostic activation of innate immunity.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a PhD or MD/PhD.
• Minimum of 4-year(s) experience in research, including the degree years.
• Experience with basic cellular, molecular techniques (Western blotting, PCR/qPCR, IHC/IF) and statistical analyses (Microsoft Excel/PRISM).
• Established track record in abstract and manuscript writing/publishing.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Proven ability to work independently within a research lab
• Thriving in a teamwork setting.

Nice To Haves

• PhD or MD/PhD in the field of virology, microbiology, cell biology, or immunology research.
• Proven experience and familiarity with the mouse colony maintenance/breeding, mouse dissections, and murine innate or adaptive immunity and procedures to study it.
• Bioinformatic skills, experience working with RNAseq or other -omics datasets at all levels including experimental design and execution to data-handling and analysis.
• Experience in mentoring PhD students/laboratory technicians.
• Independence in experiment design, analysis and manuscript writing.
• Two or more first author publications originating from degree work.

Responsibilities

• Utilize cell line and transgenic mouse models expressing a viral RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase (RdRp) coupled with immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing to identify self-derived MDA5 ligands.
• A potential role of MDA5 in causing inflammaging by HIV-1 is also ongoing, using very safe replication-defective viral constructs.
• Iteratively validate and test antiviral properties and immunogenicity of identified RdRp derived MDA5 ligands in cell lines, organoids and naïve mice.
• Perform basic cellular, molecular techniques (Western blotting, PCR/qPCR, IHC/IF) and statistical analyses (Microsoft Excel/PRISM/JMP) to supplement experiments.
• Develop/lead hypothesis driven research independently.
• Aid in and independently write manuscripts/grants.
• Assist with training of junior or new employees/students and with day-to-day lab duties.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package
• Generous leave
• Health plans
• Retirement contributions

What This Job Offers

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