Postdoctoral Research Scholar 0-5 yrs Experience

SDSU Research Foundation • San Diego, CA

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About The Position

The College of Sciences is a diverse academic institution encompassing eight academic departments, eight joint doctoral programs, and a multitude of academic program areas. Additionally, it houses the California State University Program, the Education and Research in Biotechnology program, the Coastal Waters Institute, the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education, the Molecular Biology Institute, and off-campus sites including the San Diego State University Field Stations and the Mt. Laguna Observatory. Within its ranks, the College boasts a dedicated faculty comprising over 260 full and part-time members, along with a support staff of 80 clerical and technical employees. Their interests span a wide spectrum, encompassing both teaching and research. Leading the College is the Dean, who is assisted by two Associate Deans, an Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, a Resource Manager, and administrative support personnel. The Dean's Office takes responsibility for overseeing all facets of the College's operations, including the initiation, execution, and ongoing support of instructional and research initiatives, as well as planning for the College's future.

The Brock Lab seeks a highly skilled and motivated postdoctoral researcher to contribute to ongoing projects focused on herpetofaunal responses to anthropogenic land use change. Specifically, this research seeks to understand how urbanization shapes the evolution of sexual signals in reptiles on short and long timescales. This project combines evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology, sensory ecology, and urban eco-evo to examine whether reptiles evolve predictably in response to anthropogenic change. The successful candidate is expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy in the field and laboratory while working within well-defined research directions. Under supervision of Dr. Kinsey Brock, this position is intended to provide mentored advanced training to enhance professional skills and research independence in the Post Doc's academic discipline.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION Postdoctoral Researcher We seek a skilled and highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to contribute to ongoing projects studying the self-assembly and disassembly of virus-like particles (VLPs), with applications toward engineering VLPs as programmable nanomaterials. The successful candidate is expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy in the laboratory while working within well-defined research directions and actively participating in the training of graduate students and undergrads. Under supervision of an SDSU Faculty member, this position is intended to provide mentored advanced training to enhance professional skills and research independence in the Post Doc's academic discipline.

Requirements

• Doctoral degree or equivalent in an appropriate field
• Highly skilled and motivated researcher with demonstrable record of scholarly activity.
• Experience conducting field-based ecology and evolutionary biology research (preferably with reptiles).
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills (this position requires use of R, command line).
• Expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy in the laboratory while working within well-defined research directions.
• Candidate must reside in California and live within a commutable distance from SDSU at time of hire.
• Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on background check results (including a criminal record check).

Nice To Haves

• Ph.D. in related field – biology, ecology, evolutionary biology
• Experience with behavioral ecology, sensory ecology, sexual selection, urban eco-evo.
• Hands-on experience with reptiles in the field and/or lab.
• Familiarity with color analysis, chemical ecology, image analysis, and/or comparative methods.
• Strong attention to detail and reproducibility.

Responsibilities

• Design, conduct, and analyze independent and collaborative research projects; collect and interpret data; maintain research records and ensure compliance with research protocols.
• Prepare manuscripts for publication, contribute to grant proposals, literature reviews, and research reports.
• Maintain laboratory operations, equipment, databases, and research materials; assist with project coordination and regulatory compliance.
• Mentor graduate students, undergraduate researchers, and/or junior staff in research methods and best practices. This can be in the classroom, laboratory, and field settings.
• Attend seminars, conferences, workshops, and participate in departmental meetings, committees, and collaborative activities.
• Assist in data collection, management, analysis and dissemination.
• Conduct highly specialized and advanced experiments.
• Design research protocols.
• Summarize research findings.
• Prepare manuscripts, attend conferences and presenting at conferences.
• Work may be performed in the field or in a laboratory setting.

What This Job Offers

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