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Post Doctoral Associate

Employer
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Location
365 Plantation Street

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Administrative Jobs
Institutional & Business Affairs, Auxiliary Services
Position Type
Postdoc
Employment Type
Full Time
Institution Type
Four-Year Institution

Job Details

Overview

The Brown Lab at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (https://www.umassmed.edu/brownlab/) has immediate post-doctoral positions open in gene modulation therapy for ALS and related neurodegenerative diseases.  As one component of a new “Accelerator Initiative”( https://www.umassmed.edu/news/news-archives/2022/02/umass-alumni-dan-and-diane-riccio-pledge-$15-million-to-advance-als-neuroscience-research/), we are pursuing several approaches to modifying adverse gene variants that are implicated in both familial and sporadic ALS.  These include gene suppression (e.g. antisense oligonucleotides activating RNAse H), gene augmentation (small activating RNAs), and gene editing (e.g. gene editing, base editing, splice modification).  This program entails a productive, close collaboration with Jonathan Watts and Anastasia Khvorova in the UMass Chan RNA Therapeutics Institute.  This program is built upon our recent pilot human studies in suppression of two ALS genes, SOD1 (PMID 32640133) and C9orf72 (PMID 34949835). Our explicit goal is to transition rapidly from pre-clinical studies to pilot human studies for several other ALS genes.  It is our hope that the approaches developed in this program will be broadly applicable to a wide variety of human disorders.

Preferred qualifications:

  • D. in Neuroscience, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, or Related Discipline.
  • Skilled in conventional molecular methods such as quantitative methods for qualitative and quantitative analysis of gene expression (qPCR, ddPCR, Southern, Northern and Western blotting), gene cloning;
  • Experience culturing neurogenic cell lines;
  • Some experience in culturing and differentiation of human iPSC is desirable, but not an absolute prerequisite;
  • Analogously for generation of key sequences for therapeutic oligonucleic acids; understanding aspects of oligonucleic acid synthesis and purification;
  • Some experience with animal therapy trials (mainly mice), including drug dosing by various routes of administration (SC, IV, IP, oral gavage, IT);
  • Behavioral analysis of mouse models;
  • Ability to compile and analyze data using standard statistical methods.

UMass Chan offers strong support and mentoring, a collaborative research environment, a competitive salary with benefits, and visa sponsorship available. 

Interested applicants should submit the following materials via email to Susan Jacobs (susan.jacobs@umassmed.edu) and Robert Brown (robert.brown@umassmed.edu):  a cover letter describing current research activities and your interest in this position, a current CV (including publications), and contact information for three references, one of which should be your Ph.D. advisor.   

Responsibilities

See Additional Information

Organization

Realize Your Opportunities – A Career at UMASS Medical School

Inside Workings at UMASS Medical School

The University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), the Commonwealth's only public medical school, is proud of our role in serving the people of Massachusetts. Although, its the inside workings of UMMS that makes the difference.

Mission and Culture

  • We’re serious about our mission and about our people. 
  • Real World Impact - Our people get excited about our mission of real-world impact in health sciences education, research and public service.
  • International Prominence and New Opportunities - As this institution has grown to national – and international – prominence, we’ve found new opportunities to train tomorrow’s physicians, nurses and scientists,  discover causes of and cures for disease and help improve the quality of health care.
  • Deep Commitment - With our clinical partner, UMass Memorial Health Care, and our other teaching affiliates, we share a deep commitment to national distinction in patient care.
  • Valued Partnerships – UMMS partners with Commonwealth Medicine, the health care consulting arm of UMMS. Also, UMMS partners with MassBiologics in scientific collaborations, technology management and creating partnerships for the development of products for the benefit of patients.  These valued partnerships help us to provide services and programs to help meet our needs at UMMS and the public.
  • Proud Contributors - People at UMMS enjoy the feeling of going to work every day knowing what they do is truly important and worthwhile.
  • Complementary and Inseparable - These varied parts of our mission and culture are complementary and inseparable.                 

Careers

UMMS, the state’s first and only public academic health sciences center, educates physicians, scientists and advanced practice nurses to heal, discover, teach and care, with compassion.  UMMS is a world-class institution with opportunities to match. 

Competitive Compensation – UMMS offers salaries that are competitive with Worcester-area employers. When combined with our generous benefits, perks, and paid time off, many job seekers are surprised to find a total rewards package that matches or exceeds their current situation.

Targeted Hiring Process – At UMMS, there are actually multiple hiring processes for different segments of our workforce.  In nearly all cases, UMMS hiring process is decentralized, with qualified candidates screened and referred to an academic officer or manager with hiring authority.

24/7 Access to Employment Opportunities – iCIMS is our online job search and application system.  iCIMS is available 24/7 to provide you with a convenient and up-to-date view of the available employment opportunities across our campuses. Updates are made daily and include all faculty and non-faculty position listings from every school and department within the UMMS. When you identify a position you are interested in and qualified for, apply online. New opportunities become available frequently so it pays to check back often!

Benefits

With outstanding benefits, competitive pay, extensive learning opportunities, and a stimulating and attractive work environment, UMMS may be exactly the employer you’ve been looking for.

• Superior Benefits - UMMS offers a wide range of benefits and perks that invite comparison with the best employers in the Worcester area – and with academic institutions anywhere. UMMS provides superior medical and dental coverage for you and your family, fully funded retirement plans, generous time off, a Tuition Assistance Plan – and much more.

• People Centered - UMMS is an employer, but it is also a community. Its comprehensive medical and dental benefits, retirement plans, and even paid holidays reflect an institution built around people, with a deep respect for their differences and needs.

• Commitment to Healthy Living - UMMS provides resources to help you balance work and life and encourages healthy living through great programs and discounts for fitness, physical activity, weight management, nutritional counseling and general wellness available through our health insurance plans.

• Breadth of Offerings - Above all, the breadth of UMMS offerings set the School apart and makes it an environment favored by all sorts of smart, career-savvy people.

Apply for a Job

As an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, UMMS recognizes the power of a diverse community and encourages applications from individuals with varied experiences, perspectives and backgrounds.

Online - To view all job opportunities and apply online, visit www.umassmed.edu/hr and click on the “Careers” tab.

Start Now and Realize Your Opportunities!

A History of Making Vital Improvements - UMASS Medical School Milestones

1962: Legislation establishes University of Massachusetts Medical School
1970: First medical students begin classes in Shaw Building
1974: First class graduates 16 MDs
1979: PhD program begins
1986: Graduate School of Nursing opens
1986: PhD program becomes Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
1994: Graduate School of Nursing initiates PhD program
1998: UMass Clinical System and Memorial Health Care merge to form UMass Memorial Health Care
2001: Lazare Research Building opens
2002: Campus Modernization begins on the University Campus
2004: Graduate Entry Pathway Program established at the Graduate School of Nursing
2005: PhD Program in Clinical & Population Health Research established at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
2005: Massachusetts Biologic Laboratories opens new manufacturing and filling facility in Mattapan
2006: Craig Mello, PhD, Blais University Chair in Molecular Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, is awarded the Medical School's first Nobel Prize. Dr. Mello shared the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Andrew Fire, PhD, of Stanford University, for their discoveries related to RNA interference.
2007: Michael F. Collins, MD, is named chancellor and Terence R. Flotte, MD, is named dean of the School of Medicine.  
2009: Groundbreaking for the Albert Sherman Center, a 500,000-square-foot research and education facility slated for completion in 2012.
2010: Ambulatory Care Center opens
2012: The Albert Sherman Center, a 500,000-square-foot research and education facility, completed and opens

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