The University of Iowa Institute for Vision Research

Title:  Postdoctoral Scholar

Classification Code:  FP01 

Basic Function and Responsibility

To serve as a member of a multidisciplinary laboratory focused on disease modeling and therapeutics development for patients with inherited retinal disease. The incumbant’s primary responsibilities will be in 1) designing, performing, and validating patch clamp and multielectrode array (MEA) experiments on 2D and 3D tissue culture, and 2) performing functional release testing assays for clinical gene and cell based therapeutics.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities

·         Help to design and plan assays for various projects with the Principal Investigator, including in-depth literature research to evaluate the current standard for specific experimental protocols. This also includes coordinating responsibilities for ongoing research among technicians and students, and interpreting and evaluating results as they are obtained.

·         Design and perform in vitro electrophysiology experiments on 2D and 3D tissue culture samples. This includes differentiating patient-dervived iPSCs into cell types of interest, and utilizing patch clamp or MEAs, as appropriate, to assess retinal cell functionality.

·         Assist the Principal Investigator in compilation and evaluation of data for preparation of manuscripts for publication in scientific journals, grant applications, and posters/talks for local and international scientific conferences. Also expected to prepare posters/talks and represent the lab at local and international scientific conferences.

·         Contribute to new or continuing research grant proposals to obtain funding for research activities. Includes contributing to progress reports required by funding agencies.

·         Supervise adherence to safety and compliance guidelines when necessary.

• Pay close attention to detail.

“We Care” Core Values

• Welcoming – We have an environment where everyone has a voice that is heard; that promotes the dignity of our patients, trainees, and employees; and allows all to thrive in their health, work, research, and education.
• Excellence – We achieve and deliver our personal and collective best in the pursuit of quality and accessible health care, education, and research. 
• Collaboration – We collaborate with health care systems, providers, and communities across Iowa and the region as well as within our UI community. We believe teamwork—guided by compassion—is the best way to work.
• Accountability – We behave ethically, act with fairness and integrity, take responsibility for our own actions, and respond when errors in behavior or judgment occur.
• Respect – We create an environment where every individual feels safe, valued, and respected, supporting the well-being and success of all members of our community.
• Empowerment – We commit to fair access to research, health care, and education for our community and opportunities for personal and professional growth for our staff and learners.

Supervision Received

Expected to work independently and collaboratively. Training in advanced techniques will be provided by the Principal Investigator or appropriate subject matter expert on an ongoing and as needed basis.

Supervision Exercised

Functional supervision may be exercised over research assistants, laboratory assistants, and other assigned research personnel.

Required Qualifications

·         Requires the practical knowledge of basic cellular and molecular biology plus the ability to translate, adapt, and apply this knowledge that is generally associated with a PhD and progressively responsible work experience. This position requires a Ph.D. (already obtained or will finish in the next six months) in Neuroscience, Biology, Molecular Biology, or another related biological science field.

·         Demonstrated experience performing patch clamp in mammalian cell culture.

·         Experience with standard molecular biology and biochemical techniques (e.g., cloning, nucleic acid and protein isolation from human and animal tissue samples, PCR/qPCR, ELISA, Western blot, etc.), common cell biology techniques (e.g., immunocytochemistry/immunohistochemistry), and imaging techniques (e.g., confocal, two-photon).

·         Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Desired Qualifications

·         Two or more years of experience in cellular and molecular biology research of human diseases is highly desirable.

·         Experience with ophthalmic techniques such as ERG/PERG and OCT.

·         Familiarity with serial block-face SEM.

·         Strong publication record.

·         Previous experience supervising students and technicians in a research laboratory.

·         Familiarity with Macintosh computers, including the applications Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Adobe Photoshop, LaserGene, and EndNote software.

Start Date

Flexible