Career Center

About the Study

In this large-scale clinical study, the candidates will work with interdisciplinary team of PIs and Co-Is join for NIH-funded Research Evaluating Vagal Excitation and Anatomical Links (REVEAL) project that will take place over three years. REVEAL aims to study the anatomical connections and functional effects (the cardiovascular, metabolic, autonomic nervous and immune systems) of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), which is an FDA-approved treatment for epilepsy and depression.

About the Job

The Transplantation Tolerance Laboratories (TTL) within the Schulze Diabetes Institute (SDI) in the Department of Surgery is looking for an outstanding and highly motivated Postdoctoral Associate with a passion for exciting state-of the art technology that explores the world of single cells using mass cytometry.  Overall, the SDI/TTL lab is interested in understanding to what extent VNS  alters the immune system and impacts protective immunity. The candidate will perform deep immune profiling and single-cell ATAC/RNA-seq before and after VNS device implantation to determine whether i) baseline immune signatures predict the response to VNS, ii) clinical improvements correlate with distinct immune system signatures, iii) VNS ameliorates depression and epilepsy by modulating the underlying autoimmunity, iv) changes in immune responses to VNS are stable or fluctuate over time, and v) VNS device parameter settings can be personalized based on immune system profiling for enhanced efficacy.

Candidates will have the opportunity to engage in NIH-funded on-going translational and/or observational cohort studies and develop their own project within the ongoing research in a fast-paced behavioral research environment. This position requires letters of support from at least two colleagues/supervisors.

This individual will work with a team of translational immunologists with a focus on dissecting the cellular immune landscape pre- and post-transplant in both clinical and pre-clinical trials. The position will report directly to Amar Singh, Ph.D, Assistant Professor, within the SDI in the Department of Surgery. The individual will perform duties and responsibilities as a post-doctoral researcher in the TTL. General laboratory functions are also expected of this position.

The position responsibilities include:

Comprehensive immune phenotyping assay to decipher how do VNS modulate the immune response in patients with suspected autoimmune depression and autoimmune epilepsies (75%)
• Obtains training and certification in human subjects’ research.
• Optimizing the strategy and protocol for blood sample collection in TruCulture Tubes followed by LPS stimulation and tranfer to Smart Tube, Red Top Tube, Whole Blood, BD [email protected] to separate PBMCs and organize the shipping from clinical site to research laboratory/SDI for stage I. Ensures appropriate set up and processing of sample collection and measurement systems.
• Establish procedure optimization, CyTOF panel design and data analysis consultation, consult with users regarding potential mass cytometry projects including. Standardize and optimize Nuclei Isolation Single-Cell Multi-Omic ATAC- & RNA-seq for stage II
• Coordinates, supervises, and assists in data collection of study subject with clinical site team along with project manager and Cytokine Reference Lab (CRL).
• Perform masscytometry (CyTOF) analysis to execute comprehensive phenotyping of the immune subsets, functional assays for T and B cells at the bench and contribute to research and development of assays with supervision.
• Understanding of sample preparation, instrument optimization and data analysis.
• Build and optimize mass cytometry antibody panels, conjugation and QC of mass cytometry reagents.
• Thawing, washing, purification, culture of T cells, B cells and other cell types using sterile technique.
• Prepare media, and solutions under sterile conditions ahead of time for thawing and culturing cells and performing immunological assays, CyTOF staining and sample acquisition.
• Maintain records of procedures and resultant data manually and electronically.
• Perform basic data quality evaluation, cleaning and normalization of FCS files and help in analyze data using licensed software.

Assisting the director with research and development, data management and drafting scientific reports (20%)
• Computer knowledge to enter data from experiments into existing databases; spreadsheets and web-based applications.
• Conduct background literature search on relevant topics including current methods, reagents, and ethics. Perform periodic literature reviews.
• Establish and maintain a working knowledge of the principles behind daily work.
• Participates in the UMN PDA: post-doc program activities: presentation and preparation of data into figures, written project updates, oral presentations (including lab meetings, post doc seminars, and presentations at local, national, and international meetings); and preparation of manuscripts based on their work.
• Assists PI in training and mentoring research staff and undergraduate and graduate students as appropriate.
• Establishes new research protocols and procedures.
• Assist with development of protocol for process improvement projects.

General team and lab duties-first time doing activities will be done in parallel to Tissue Culture Techniques (5%)
• Processing of blood and tissue samples from Human and Nonhuman primates.
• Restocking, ordering and keeping inventory of reagents, solutions and consumables used in the laboratory.
• Culturing cells and changing media with sterile technique, long term sterile culture for immunological assays
• Participate in lab meetings with collegiate and positive input for the team's work.
• Assist researchers with performing other immunological studies.

Required Qualifications

• MD or Ph.D. in Basic Science, Health Science, or a related field. 
• Applies knowledge and skills to a recurring task or activity with emphasis typically on precision and timeliness of execution. 
• Experience working with human and nonhuman, mice samples.
• Knowledge of aseptic technique and a familiarity with cell culture techniques.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs.
• Flow and Masscytometry
• Cell culture

About University of Minnesota Twin Cities

The University of Minnesota, founded in the belief that all people are enriched by understanding, is dedicated to the advancement of learning and the search for truth; to the sharing of this knowledge through education for a diverse community; and to the application of this knowledge to benefit the people of the state, the nation, and the world.

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