Job no: 681423
Work type: Faculty/Academic Staff
Major Administrative Unit / College: College Of Human Medicine
Department: Institute For Quantitative Health 40001013
Sub Area: FAS- Fac./Acad Staff
Salary: Salary Commensurate with Experience
Location: East Lansing
Categories: Research/Scientific, Fixed Term Academic Staff, Full Time (90-100%)
Position Summary

The Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering (IQ) at Michigan State University is seeking a Research Associate in the Park Lab. The lab focuses on understanding fundamental principles that underlie skin regeneration in a live animal by using in vivo imaging with multiphoton microscopy.

Regeneration is essential for multicellular life. It is a complex process that involves diverse cell types such as tissue-specific stem cells, their progeny and co-existing immune cells, but how these cell types interact to maintain homeostasis and to rebuild damaged tissue de novo has remained elusive. A major challenge to studying tissue regeneration has been the inability to visualize the cells in vivo over time. To overcome this obstacle, we established a novel intravital imaging platform in live mammals (Pineda and Park et al. Nature Protocols 2015). This approach allows us to resolve individual epithelial cell behaviors that result in tissue-wide transformations during wound repair in the skin (Park et al. Nature Cell Biology 2017) and to investigate cellular interactions between immune and epithelial cells during homeostasis (Park and Mattee-Martone et al. Nature Cell Biology 2021). Our research overcomes major limitations in the field by combining novel imaging technology with genetic approaches, which allows us to capture dynamic behaviors in vivo during regeneration. Our long-term goal is to discover fundamental principles that underlie tissue regeneration in a live animal.

The successful Research Associate will investigate: 1) mechanisms that maintain spatial distribution of immune cells and 2) functional roles of immune-epithelial interactions by using imaging (in vivo imaging with multiphoton microscope) and genetic (RNA-seq, ATAC-seq) approaches.

The successful Research Associate will have the opportunity to receive training on the use of cutting-edge in vivo imaging approach with multiple transgenic mouse lines. The Research Associate will also be fully engaged with the intellectual activities in the lab, institute (IQ) and departments.

The position is available immediately and will remain open until filled.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate -Molecular Biology, cell biology, medical

Minimum Requirements

PhD or equivalent degree in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Medical Science, or a related discipline. Candidates who have published as first author in international scientific journals are encouraged to apply.

Desired Qualifications

Previous experience in mouse work and microscopy are preferable. Candidates who have skin biology and/or immunology background are highly encouraged to apply.

Required Application Materials

Please submit a cover letter, CV, and names and contact information of three references.

Special Instructions

For more information, please visit Park Lab homepage at https://www.sparklab.org/

Review of Applications Begins On

11/25/2020

Summary of Health Risks

-Work with animals or unfixed animal tissue.

Website

https://iq.msu.edu/

Department Statement

The Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering is dedicated to basic and applied research at the intersection of engineering, human medicine, and natural science. We have recruited faculty from some of the top academic centers around the world. They collaborate across disciplines to push the envelope of biomedical research, solving some of the most pressing problems in medicine with smart engineering solutions.

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

Advertised: Nov 19, 2020 Eastern Standard Time
Applications close: Nov 19, 2022 Eastern Standard Time