Postdoctoral Scholar - Majoris Lab

The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, FL

1d • Onsite

About The Position

A postdoctoral position is available at The Pennsylvania State University to study the relationship between larval traits and gene expression in coral reef fishes, under the supervision of Dr. John Majoris. The Majoris Marine Ecology & Aquaculture Lab integrates experimental aquaculture systems, larval phenotyping, and molecular approaches to understand how environmental conditions shape development and dispersal in marine organisms. The successful candidate will lead the analysis of an RNA-seq dataset focused on clownfish, examining links between larval phenotypes and underlying gene expression. The dataset is part of a collaborative research project lead by Dr. Majoris and includes PIs at Boston University and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

Requirements

• A Ph.D. in Biology, Marine Science, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Bioinformatics, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience in RNA-seq analysis
• Demonstrated experience in transcriptome assembly
• Demonstrated experience in statistical analysis (e.g., R)
• A record of scientific writing and publication

Nice To Haves

• Experience with functional annotation
• Experience with gene ontology enrichment
• Experience with linking gene expression patterns to phenotypic variation

Responsibilities

• Lead the analysis of an RNA-seq dataset focused on clownfish, examining links between larval phenotypes and underlying gene expression
• Develop and implement RNA-seq analysis pipelines, including quality control and preprocessing of sequencing data, de novo transcriptome assembly and annotation, read alignment, expression quantification, and differential gene expression analyses across treatment groups
• Develop independent research questions
• Pursue funding opportunities
• Contribute to ongoing projects in the lab
• Mentor graduate students, including training students in RNA extraction techniques and transcriptomics analysis pipelines
• Lead manuscript preparation and publication of results

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being
• For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees