The laboratory of Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, as a part of a translational research program in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, invites applicants to apply for a challenging and rewarding opportunity to contribute as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. The successful candidate will study the microbiota composition, and inflammatory profile as it relates to mucosal homeostasis of the female reproductive tract. The research couples clinical and translational research to advance women’s health. This position allows for the opportunity to work closely within an interdisciplinary and translational research team on a variety of diseases. For more information on the Herbst-Kralovetz laboratory, see http://herbstkralovetzlab.weebly.com/.

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is composed of employed and private practice physicians creating a unique hybrid model. The faculty supports the OB/GYN residency program, and is actively engaged in research and mentoring with interests ranging from general gynecology and obstetrics to subspecialties. Areas of interest include maternal-fetal medicine, vaginal dysbiosis, gynecologic oncology, reproductive endocrinology and infertility, sexual health, urogynecology and pelvic pain. Additional departments include the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, which is a multidisciplinary unit composed of faculty with research interests in cardiac and vascular biology; developmental, cell and molecular biology; evolution of vertebrate morphology; gene environment interactions and epigenetics; host-microbe interactions and immunology; medical education; platform development, medical devices and procedures; and signaling and steroid biology. In addition, the Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine and affiliate institutions such as the Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital/Barrow Neurological Institute and the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium offer abundant opportunities for collaborative research efforts.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Study host-microbe interactions as it relates to the female reproductive tract.

• Processing and analyzing clinical specimens for multi-omics analyses.

• Analyze, organize and report data for presentation and publications.

• Provide status reports in the form of laboratory meetings.

• Bioinformatics/biostatistical knowledge and application.

• Participate in grant applications and submit fellowship applications.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Skill utilizing protein assays (Western blot and ELISA) and nucleic acid-based assays (extraction, RT-PCR assays, quantification, etc.) and standard molecular biology techniques.

• Excellent writing and verbal skills as evidenced by prior publications and presentations in the area of Microbiology/Virology and/or Immunology.

• Resourceful, self-motivated and possess a proven record of scientific advances in the form of publications.

• Knowledge of microbiology/virology, cell biology and immunology and related techniques.

• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team environment.

• Biostatistical analysis of data sets.

Minimum Qualifications:

MD, PhD or MD/PhD degree in Microbiology, Virology, Immunology, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology or Genetics.