Post-Doc Research Associate (Kelada)

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development.

Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence. Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country.

UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage, paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance. Chapel Hill regularly ranks as one of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, a reputation guided by the diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

The UNC School of Medicine has a rich tradition of excellence and care. Our mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of North Carolinians, and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education, and research. We strive to promote faculty, staff, and learner development in a diverse, respectful environment where our colleagues demonstrate professionalism, enhance learning, and create personal and professional sustainability. We optimize our partnership with the UNC Health System through close collaboration and commitment to service.
OUR VISION
Our vision is to be the nation's leading public school of medicine. We are ranked 2nd in primary care education among all US schools of medicine and 5th among public peers in NIH research funding. Our Allied Health Department is home to five top-ranked divisions, and we are home to 18 top-ranked clinical and basic science departments in NIH research funding.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education, and research.
Patient Care: We will promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.
Education: We will prepare tomorrow's health care professionals and biomedical researchers by facilitating learning within innovative curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education. We will cultivate outstanding teaching and research faculty, and we will recruit outstanding students and trainees from highly diverse backgrounds to create a socially responsible, highly skilled workforce.
Research: We will develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers, and resources. We will provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our University to support outstanding research. We will foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic, and population research.

The Kelada Lab is recruiting a post-doctoral research associate to join the lab's research program on genetic and genomic determinants of air pollution response and how these relate to the development of chronic respiratory diseases including asthma and COPD. We aim to identify interactions between exposure to the common air pollutant ozone, the genome (e.g., DNA sequence variants), epigenome (e.g., chromatin accessibility), and gene expression, and determine how these interactions influence the respiratory disease phenotypes. For these experiments and analyses, we will leverage the genetic and phenotype diversity of the Collaborative Cross mouse population, which we have utilized for more than decade to identify quantitative trait loci for multiple respiratory disease phenotypes, and focus on key respiratory cell populations in the lung, namely epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages. Lastly, we will experimentally validate the statistical associations we detect using a variety of in vitro and in vivo approaches.

The post-doctoral research associate will lead our efforts to generate and analyze these 'omic' datasets. The trainee will have the opportunity to learn applicable methods from fellow lab members and other experts on campus, including members of the genetics, pulmonary and toxicology research communities at UNC, which are exceptionally strong. The successful candidate will also lead our efforts to present our work through scientific papers and presentations at scientific meetings.

In total, this post-doctoral research associate will provide a motivated trainee with the opportunity to further develop research and communication skills that will allow them to springboard to research careers in academia or industry.

PhD in Genetics/Genomics, Toxicology, Pharmacology, or related fields.

Experience in analyzing high-throughput sequencing data (e.g., RNA-seq, ATAC-seq) is required.

Candidates must be self-motivated, enthusiastic, able to work in a teamwork environment, and have strong communication skills.

Experience with mouse models of respiratory disease.

Experience with flow cytometry.

For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services click here

Please include a brief statement of research interests within the cover letter.

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the University's Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at (919) 962-9982 or send an email to opahr@unc.edu.

Please note: The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.