Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability.

Position Summary:

VCU School of Medicine is searching for a Post-Doctoral researcher with expertise and interests to join a research team focused on high throughput human and pathogen genomics. The team is particularly focused on: 1) developing and applying high throughput DNA and RNA sequencing to characterize genome variants with relevance to pathogen evolution, infectivity, and transmission; and 2) elucidating human gene expression patterns in response to colonization by different microbial taxa. As a part of our work in the CDC-funded Pathogen Genomics Center of Excellence, particular attention is focused on respiratory pathogens including but not limited to Sars-CoV-2, Hepatitis A virus, Influenza Viruses. The successful applicant will also participate on studies of the human microbiome and its effect on human health, with a particular focus on the microbiome of the female reproductive tract. Responsibilities among other objectives will include bioinformatics analysis of high throughput DNA/RNA sequence data, assembling viral, bacterial and other microbial pathogen genomes from complex sequencing data sets, comprehensive annotation of pathogen genomes, identification and characterization of genomic variations in pathogen genomes, developing of classification schemes for such variants, and assessing the impact of sequence variants on human gene expression and genome function. Some experience with sequence data analysis will be conducive to a high level of productivity in our project. Creative development of new strategies for analysis of genomic sequence using GPT, AI and other machine learning technologies is not essential. Analysis of human sequences generated by high throughput sequencing, including RNA Seq, Methyl Seq, single cell and spatial analysis, etc., is a plus.

Required Qualifications:

The successful applicant will be an experienced molecular biologist comfortable with wet lab aspects of high throughput sequencing. He/she/they need to be experienced in cell and molecular biology with a willingness to learn some bioinformatics analyses. Required is a Ph.D. Molecular Biology, Molecular Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Computational Systems Biology, Biomedical Engineering, or related field, and at least two years of relevant field experience. Demonstrated commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

The School of Medicine continuously strives for our workplace and learning environment to reflect the demographic and social milieu of the communities we serve. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

This is a restricted position with no set end date and continued employment is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance.

ORP Eligible:Yes

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU's sponsored research, the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient care and education. All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU's generous benefits package that includes: competitive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, Virginia Retirement System (VRS), professional development & certifications, tuition waiver, parental leave, caregiving leave and community service leave. Learn more about VCU's benefits here: https://hr.vcu.edu/careers-at-vcu/why-work-at-vcu/

Salary Range: $56,484-$75,000 commensurate with experience and expertise.

Position Details:

Department: Microbiology and Immunology

Employment Type: PD - Post Doc

Restricted Status: Yes

FTE: 100

Exemption Status: Exempt

Contact Information:

Contact Name: SOMHR

Contact Email: SOMHR@vcuhealth.org