Open Postdoctoral Positions- Gene Therapy for Hearing and Balance Disorders

Samuel Young Laboratory

There are open post-doctoral positions in the laboratory of Samuel Young at The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA. https://young.lab.uiowa.edu/ Twitter @samyounglab. We are focused on overcoming the significant knowledge gap in and tools for translational approaches to develop treatments for sensorineural hearing loss, vestibular hypofunction, cerebellar ataxia and neurodegeneration. Our goal is to develop viral vector gene therapy approaches for specific classes of these disorders that are caused by mutations in genes that exceed the limited packaging capacity of Adeno-Associated Virus.  In particular, we are interested in gene therapy approaches for sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), Spinocerebellar Ataxia 6 (SCA6), and Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T)  

Our laboratory was recently awarded the prestigious University of Iowa Health Care Distinguished Scholar Award which gives our laboratory guaranteed funding to carry out high risk-high reward science. More importantly, the award allows our lab to branch out in the new research direction - gene therapy for hearing and balance disorders.  Furthermore, this area of research  builds off our expertise and development of helper dependent adenoviral technology in combination with our imaging, biophysical, molecular, genetics and patch clamp electrophysiology to address basic questions regarding synaptic physiology and neuronal circuit function.

The Distinguished Scholar Award allows us to guarantee support for postdoctoral fellows for a minimum of three years. The postdoctoral fellows will do full-time research in our laboratory, The University of Iowa provides an outstanding intellectual environment and access to a wide range of cutting-edge technologies, giving trainees multiple opportunities to take advantage of diverse knowledge, techniques, and expertise of the local community to incorporate into their research projects. Furthermore, fellows will have the ability to interact with clinical scientists to develop surgical approaches for delivery into large animal models.  Fellows present their findings at lab meetings and have opportunities to present at national and international  meetings. Fellows receive a ~$51 K stipend and are provided with health insurance, both based on the NIH postdoctoral pay scale. Initial appointments are for three years, with the potential for renewal.

Interested candidates should submit their Curriculum Vitae, a cover letter, and complete contact information for at least three references to Dr. Samuel Young at Samuel-m-young@uiowa.edu. Please include Gene Therapy Hearing and Balance Disorders  in the subject line. Applicants can also apply online at  the Jobs@UIOWA website.

Candidates must have a PhD in a related scientific discipline and should have at least one first author preprint or publication.

A background in one of the following areas is preferred: cerebellar biology cerebellar behavior, cerebellar physiology, inner ear biology, inner ear physiology, hearing sciences, stem cells, virology.