Assistant Scientist
- Employer
- University of South Carolina
- Location
- Columbia
View more categoriesView less categories
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
RTF00254PO26
USC Market Title:Assistant Scientist
Link to USC Market Title:https://uscjobs.sc.edu/titles/156373
Business Title (Internal Title):Assistant Scientist
Campus:Columbia
Work County:Richland
College/Division:College of Arts and Sciences
Department:CAS Chemistry and Biochemistry
Anticipated Hiring Range:$65,000
Part/Full Time:Full Time
Hours per Week:37.5
Work Schedule:- Monday through Friday from 8:30am until 5:00pm
- Schedule is subject to change to meet the needs of the department or college.
Staff Research Grant (SRGP)
Basis :12 months
Job Search Category:Other
About University of South Carolina:From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.
South Carolina Retirement:Yes
State Insurance Programs:Yes
Annual Leave:Yes
Sick Leave:Yes
Advertised Job Summary:The Assistant Research Scientist will establish and maintain induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC), neuronal, and brain organoid cultures for comparative studies of hibernation biology. The position will reprogram somatic cells from multiple hibernating species, optimize differentiation protocols, and conduct experiments examining cellular and molecular responses associated with hibernation and arousal using approaches including single-cell RNA sequencing, immunohistochemistry and microscopy, Western blotting, and functional assays. The position will also contribute to experimental design, data collection and analysis, protocol development and optimization, preparation of manuscripts and presentations, and training and mentoring undergraduate and graduate researchers.
Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience:- Requires a terminal degree (PhD or similar) in an area of research specialty and one year of post-graduate job-related experience.
- A Ph.D. in Biology, Neuroscience, Cell and Molecular Biology, or a closely related field and at least three years of postdoctoral research experience with demonstrated research experience in stem cell biology, including the culture and experimental use of pluripotent stem cells, as well as experience in neurodegenerative disease research involving tau biology.
- Experience with molecular and cellular techniques relevant to neuronal models, including cell culture, immunohistochemistry, microscopy, and protein analysis.
- Expertise in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) culture, maintenance, and experimental manipulation.
- Experience with neuronal differentiation and stem cell-based models of neurological or neurodegenerative disease.
- Experience and knowledge of tau biology, including molecular and cellular approaches used to study tau-related processes.
- Experience with relevant molecular and cellular techniques, including immunohistochemistry, fluorescence microscopy, Western blotting, cell-based functional assays, and gene expression analysis.
- Knowledge of experimental design, data analysis, troubleshooting, and optimization of cell culture and molecular biology protocols.
- Experience with single-cell RNA sequencing or other transcriptomic approaches is desirable.
- Ability to train and mentor undergraduate and graduate researchers in laboratory methods and experimental procedures.
- Strong scientific writing and oral communication skills, including preparation of manuscripts, reports, and research presentations.
- Documented evidence of peer-reviewed publications in stem cell biology, neuroscience, neurodegeneration, tau biology, or related fields.
Stem Cell, Neuronal, and Hibernation Research
Establish, maintain, and experimentally manipulate induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from multiple hibernating species in order to develop comparative cellular models of hibernation biology and investigate cellular and molecular responses associated with hibernation and arousal. This work will be performed through somatic cell reprogramming, iPSC culture and quality control, neuronal differentiation, brain organoid development, and experimental approaches including immunohistochemistry, fluorescence microscopy, Western blotting, functional cellular assays, gene-expression analyses, and related molecular and cellular techniques.
Yes
Percentage of Time:40
Job Duty:Data Analysis, Interpretation, and Scientific Dissemination
Analyze and interpret experimental data in order to evaluate study hypotheses, characterize biological responses, and support dissemination of research findings. This work will include analysis of molecular, imaging, functional, and transcriptomic datasets, including single-cell RNA sequencing data, as well as preparation of figures, reports, manuscripts, abstracts, and scientific presentations.
Yes
Percentage of Time:25
Job Duty:Laboratory Training and Research Mentorship
Train and provide day-to-day scientific guidance to undergraduate and graduate researchers in order to support laboratory research activities and develop student research skills. Training will include instruction in cell culture, molecular and imaging methods, experimental design, data collection and analysis, laboratory documentation, and appropriate research and safety procedures.
Yes
Percentage of Time:20
Job Duty:Laboratory Operations and Method Development
Support the effective operation and continued development of the laboratory’s stem cell and organoid research program. This work will include developing and optimizing protocols, troubleshooting experimental procedures, maintaining cell lines and research materials, coordinating routine laboratory supplies and equipment needs, and assisting with implementation of new experimental methods required for ongoing research projects.
Yes
Percentage of Time:15
Hazardous weather category:Non-Essential
Employees in Safety-Sensitive or Security-Sensitive positions will be subject to pre-employment and post-employment drug testing in accordance with University policy HR 1.95 Drug and Alcohol Testing.:No
Number of Vacancies:1
Desired Start Date:11/08/2026
Position End Date :11/07/2028
Job Open Date:11/02/2026
Job Close Date:12/17/2026
Open Until Filled:No
Special Instructions to Applicant:Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on our job website. After five (5) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.
We are only accepting applications submitted by December 17, 2026.
https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/215432
EEO Statement:The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.
Organization
Working at University of South Carolina
With more than 200 years of history and tradition, the University of South Carolina is redefining itself for decades to come. There's never been a better time to be at South Carolina, the state's flagship university and one of only 62 public universities to receive the Carnegie Foundation's highest designation for research.
The University is located in the heart of South Carolina in the capital city of Columbia, which is the nexus of government, a thriving arts and culture center, a venue for big-time Southeastern Conference intercollegiate athletics, and a community that is reinventing itself with redevelopment projects citywide. Much of the development is tied to land along the scenic, slow-moving Congaree River. Working with government, business, and community leaders, Carolina has developed a unified plan that will allow the University to expand from its origins on the historic Horseshoe to its future-Innovista, a research and innovation district that will stretch to the banks of the Congaree.
Innovista represents a new vision for research by creating a vibrant, urban community where students and researchers, including those from private firms, will live, work, learn, and play. Innovista will represent the University's four core research areas-hydrogen fuel cells, nanoscience and technology, biomedical and public health, and the environment-but will include other initiatives and business partners that serve the knowledge economy. Innovista's first private tenant, for example, is a leader in software applications for the insurance industry and will create several hundred high-paying jobs.
By attracting similar companies and jobs-and by capitalizing on an attractive location for restaurants and residential and retail space-Innovista will help drive the economy and increase per-capita income in the city and state. Recreational space will include a world-class waterfront park along the Congaree River and a new stadium for the Gamecocks' nationally ranked baseball program. Greenway paths for biking, walking, and running already line much of the river area. Innovista's 8 million square feet will blend seamlessly with the Vista, the city's nearby entertainment district of restaurants, bars, shops, and art galleries.
Chartered in 1801, Carolina began classes in 1805 with nine students and a single building, Rutledge College. As the campus grew and buildings were added during the next 50 years, a horseshoe layout was adopted. Today, the Horseshoe is on the National Register of Historic Places, with 10 of its 11 buildings dating to the 19th century. Those renovated buildings house, among other areas, the South Carolina Honors College and Undergraduate Admissions, representing much of the University's current and future lifeblood.
In fact, incoming freshman classes have never been larger or more competitive. The freshmen from fall 2006 set records for their size (more than 3,700) and SAT scores (1171 average). Freshmen enrolling in the Honors College had average SAT scores of 1398. Members of the University's prestigious scholarship programs, Carolina Scholars for in-state students and McNair Scholars for out-of-state students, had average scores of 1449 and 1477, respectively. Total enrollment at Carolina for undergraduates and graduates is more than 27,300, with some 350 degree programs to choose from. Since 1994, Carolina students have earned more than $9.9 million in prestigious national scholarships such as the Goldwater, Truman, Rhodes, and NSF scholarships and the Fulbright Fellowships.
South Carolina's student body is diverse. In fact, Carolina was recently recognized as the state flagship university with the highest percentage of African-American student enrollment in the nation. Research by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education shows African-American students made up 14.7 percent of enrollment in 2004, the latest year available. The JBHE also ranks Carolina eighth in the nation in percentage of African-American faculty at a state flagship university with 4.3 percent.
The University's faculty garnered a record $173.3 million in federal, state, and private funding for research, outreach, and training programs in 2005-06, and several key hiring plans will introduce more talent and expertise to the faculty ranks. An aggressive campus building master plan and the faculty recruiting initiatives will change the collective face of the University and the faces of many of its key teachers and researchers.
South Carolina is recruiting world-class faculty to be endowed chairs-and change agents-for a series of "research centers of economic excellence" in areas such as nanoelectronics, polymer nanocomposites, brain imaging, regenerative medicine, cancer therapeutics, drug discovery, vision research, hydrogen fuel cells, and travel and tourism technology. These centers, some in collaboration with other state research universities and health and hospital systems, are funded with $30 million annually in state lottery money, as well as private matching money. Carolina is in the midst of a faculty recruitment plan to hire 600 new members. The Faculty Excellence Initiative is recruiting 150 faculty, many in interdisciplinary clusters of emphasis, while the Centenary Plan will recruit 100 elite research faculty to lead the University's core initiatives. Additionally, 350 faculty will be hired across disciplines to replace retirees over the next few years.
The University has forged a number of international collaborations in research, and the University's global connections are also strong in academics, particularly in international business. U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked the Moore School of Business best in the nation for its undergraduate and graduate programs in international business; the undergraduate program is No. 1 for the 10th consecutive time, while the graduate program is No. 1 among public universities for the 18th consecutive year and No. 2 overall, continuing a streak of 18 years with a top-two overall ranking.
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