Post-Doctoral Research Associate Job Listing at UT Dallas in Dallas, TX (Job ID 29197)

Description

A postdoctoral position in microfluidics and neutrophil biology is immediately available in the laboratory of David Schmidtke in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Texas at Dallas. One area of focus in the Schmidtke Laboratory is in the fabrication and utilization of novel microfluidic devices to study platelet and neutrophil biology. For this position the research associate will focus on following project:

The goals of this proposal are to (i) determine biomarkers that associate with elevated risks of infections in ventricular assist device (VAD) patients; (ii) develop novel microfluidic devices that allow for leukocyte functional assays; and (iii) determine whether treatment of neutrophils from VAD patients with specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs) can restore their antibacterial fighting and immunosuppressive capacities.

This project will involve (i) measuring changes in leukocyte phenotypes by flow cytometry, (ii) measuring changes in leukocyte rolling velocities in microfluidic devices, (iii) measuring changes in leukocyte function via phagocytosis assays, chemotaxis assays, oxidative burst assays. The project will involve the use different sample types (a) whole blood; (b) isolated leukocyte subtypes; and © mixtures of leukocyte subtypes (e.g. neutrophils and monocytes).

Minimum Education and Experience

Ph.D in a related field.

Preferred Education and Experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in bioengineering, biomedical engineering or chemical engineering.
• Candidates should have experience in most of the following areas: microfluidics, fluid mechanics, leukocyte biology, leukocyte adhesion assays, leukocyte chemotaxis assays, biochemical assays (i.e. ELISAs), blood cell separation, image analysis, flow cytometry, photolithography, and optical microscopy.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Minimum Responsibilities

• Fabrication of microfluidic devices
• Photolithography
• Performing ELISAs to measure the concentration of various proteins,
• Measuring protein/receptor expression levels on leukocytes using flow cytometry,
• Measuring leukocyte adhesion using various microscopy techniques (i.e. differential interference contrast, fluorescence, interference reflection microscopy), isolating leukocyte subtypes from whole blood, image analysis
• Materials and supply ordering

Additional Responsibilities

• The candidate will be expected to write manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication, present his/her research at national/international conferences, and aid in proposal writing.
• The candidate will be expected to work with graduate and undergraduate students and thus they should have good communication and teamwork skills.
• In addition to the normal research at UT-Southwestern lab space, when needed, the candidate will be required to perform research in shared space at UT-Dallas

Additional Information

Additional Information:

• The position is available immediately and funding is available for 1 year.
• This position is renewable pending funding availability and satisfactory performance.
• The research will be performed in Dr. Schmidtke's laboratory located in the TI-BMES building on the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center campus.
• A remote work schedule is not available for this position.

What We Can Offer
UT Dallas is an Equal Opportunity Employer with an employee-friendly and supportive work environment. Our comprehensive compensation and benefits package that is effective as of your hire date includes:  

• Competitive Salary
• Tuition Benefits
• Internal Training
• BCBS PPO Medical insurance – 100% paid for full-time employees
• PPO and DHMO Dental Insurance Plan – PPO plans include ortho benefits
• Vision Insurance
• Long and short-term disability
• TRS Retirement Plan – defined benefit plan offering lifetime annuity upon retirement
• Voluntary Retirement Plan Options – additional savings opportunities with Tax-Sheltered Annuity Plans and Deferred Compensation Plans
• Dental/Vision/AD&D 
• Paid time off
• Paid Holidays 
• Paid Winter Break
• Fertility Benefits

  All UT Dallas employees have access to various professional development opportunities, including a membership to Academic Impressions, LinkedIn Learning, and UT Dallas Bright Leaders Program.   Visit https://hr.utdallas.edu/employees/benefits/ for more information.  
If you are looking for a rewarding career opportunity with great benefits? Look no further! Join our team!

Important Message

1) All employees serve as a representative of the University and are expected to display respect, civility, professional courtesy, consideration of others and discretion in all interactions with members of the UT Dallas community and the general public.

2) The University of Texas at Dallas is committed to providing an educational, living, and working environment that is welcoming, respectful, and inclusive of all members of the university community. UT Dallas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in its services, programs, activities, employment, and education, including in admission and enrollment. The University is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. To request reasonable accommodation in the employment application and interview process, contact the ADA Coordinator. For inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, contact the Title IX Coordinator.

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