Post-Doc Research Associate

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 Department of Biology at UNC-Chapel Hill is dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of new and existing knowledge in the broad discipline of Biology by maintaining a high-quality faculty who integrate cutting-edge research and student-focused teaching.

We are one of the largest academic departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. We have over 2,800 majors and we enroll over 5,000 undergraduate students in our classes each year. Our average total annual expenditure exceeds $24 million, with nearly half of that coming from grant sponsored research. The department is composed of 50 tenure-track faculty, 10 teaching faculty, 8 research faculty, and numerous active adjunct and emeritus faculty. We currently have 50 graduate students, 40 post-docs and employ approximately 60 additional graduate and undergraduate students from across the university to assist in our teaching and research missions. Our mission is supported by an administrative and technical staff of 20, with an additional 25 staff directly supporting research.

Members of the Jason Reed lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA research various aspects of plant development, including hormonal control of flower maturation (the subject of this position), and roles of auxin-regulated genes in growth.

The lab of Jason Reed at UNC seeks a postdoctoral researcher to study stamen development during flower maturation in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The project is to explore how hormones control rapid but transient stamen filament growth and differentiation just before flowers open, and coordinated anther dehiscence (pollen release). Time-lapse confocal microscopy, single-nucleus RNA-Seq, and fluorescent reporter genes will be used to reconstruct three-dimensional cellular anatomy, growth, and differentiation in stamens. Biophysical, hormonal, and genetic manipulations will probe mechanisms that couple filament growth with the jasmonate production needed for anther dehiscence. Collaborators on this project include the Daniel Kierzkowski lab at Universite de Montreal, Canada (live imaging of anatomy and growth); and the Bastiaan Bargmann and Clay Wright labs at Virginia Tech, USA (auxin transcriptional response systems to improve plants through synthetic biology approaches).

PhD in Biology or a related field

Experience with molecular biology, transcriptomics, and/or microscopy is required, as well as a record of past research success.

None

None

Please provide i) a cover letter explaining your motivation to work on this project; ii) a CV/resume, iii) a one- or two-page summary of your previous research, and iv) names of two or three references who may be contacted.

For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services click here

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.