Post-Doc Research Associate - Vaziri-Bowser labs

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill; Elkins Hills (NC); On-site; USD 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and vision coverage

Paid leave

Professional development

Job summary

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites applications for a Post-Doc Research Associate in the Vaziri-Bowser labs. The successful candidate will investigate fundamental mechanisms of the DNA damage response and cell cycle regulation, with implications for genome stability and cancer biology.

The role offers dual mentorship and industry-relevant exposure through UNC collaborations. We seek MD or PhD holders in biological sciences with experience in DNA damage and cell cycle fields.

Qualifications

• MD or PhD in a biological science or related discipline.
• Experience in DNA damage and cell cycle fields.

Responsibilities

• Investigate mechanisms of DNA damage response and cell cycle regulation.
• Collaborate across labs and with UNC centers to advance cancer biology research.
• Contribute to manuscript preparation and data presentation.

Skills

Communication

Data analysis

Statistics

Leadership

Collaboration

Independence

Project management

Professionalism

Education

MD or PhD in biological science

Tools

GraphPad Prism

Adobe Illustrator

Job description

Position Details

• Department: Pathology Lab Med - Research - 413804
• Position Type: Postdoctoral Scholar
• Position Title: Post-Doc Research Associate - Vaziri-Bowser labs
• Vacancy ID: PDS004937
• Full-Time/Temporary: Full-Time Temporary
• Hours per week: 40
• FTE: 1
• Work Location: Chapel Hill, NC
• Position Location: North Carolina, US
• Hiring Range: Dependent on Experience and Qualifications
• Estimated Duration of Appointment: 12 Months
• Open Until Filled: Yes

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.

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 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 prepare tomorrow's healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce. Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.

Position Summary

The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a collaborative, co-mentored research program between the laboratories of Dr. Cyrus Vaziri and Dr. Jessica Bowser. The successful candidate will investigate fundamental mechanisms of the DNA damage response (DDR), cell cycle regulation, and their implications for genome stability, cancer biology, and therapeutic response For recent related publications please see: Nat Commun. 2025 Aug 5;16(1):7214. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-62368-8. PMID: 40764480; Cell Rep. 2025 Jan 28;44(1):115104. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.115104. Epub 2024 Dec 20. PMID: 39708320; Nat Commun. 2024 Mar 4;15(1):1957. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45979-5. PMID: 38438348. This position offers the unique benefit of dual academic mentorship, along with industry-relevant experience through collaborations with the Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery (UNC) and the Metabolomics and Exposome Laboratory (UNC). These collaborations will provide the candidate with access to complementary expertise, resources, and scientific perspectives across multiple disciplines.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

• MD or PhD in a biological science or related discipline.

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

• Experience in DNA damage and cell cycle fields.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

• Knowledge
• Subject-specific knowledge: A strong base of knowledge in signal transduction, genome maintenance, DNA replication, cell cycle, and how these processes impact carcinogenesis and cancer therapy.
• Research methods: Independence and expertise in designing experiments, collecting data, and performing necessary techniques.
• Responsible conduct of research: Familiarity with ethical guidelines, regulations, and policies governing research.
• Funding and publishing: Understanding the processes for securing grants and publishing findings in scientific journals.
• Skills
• Communication: Ability to communicate effectively through writing (manuscripts) and speaking (seminars, presentations) to both specialized and broad audiences.
• Data analysis and statistics: Proficiency with statistical software (e.g., GraphPad Prism) and strong analytical skills, ability to generate high-resolution publication-quality figures (e.g. using Adobe Illustrator).
• Technical skills: Demonstrated expertise in state-of-the-art molecular biology, cell biology, genetic, and biochemical approaches required to study mechanisms of genome maintenance. This includes cell culture, DNA cloning, mutagenesis, expressing proteins in mammalian and bacterial cells, gene editing, protein biochemistry, imaging, flow cytometry. Ability to learn new techniques quickly and efficiently. Ability to troubleshoot.
• Project management: Ability to multi-task, manage time, projects, and resources effectively.
• Scientific writing: Ability to write manuscripts and generate high-quality figures.
• Abilities
• Adaptability and resilience: The capacity to adapt to new research directions, technologies, and work environments.
• Independent work: The ability to work independently, formulate and test hypotheses, and drive your own research.
• Problem-solving and critical thinking: Analytical ability to identify problems and find effective solutions.
• Collaboration: Working effectively in interdisciplinary and collaborative teams.
• Leadership and management: Interpersonal skills necessary to manage a project, collaborate with others, and facilitate teamwork.
• Professionalism: reliable, accountable, considerate, honest.
• Goal-orientation and professional maturity: Understanding that this position strictly requires achieving research milestones and deliverables (manuscripts) that benefit the entire lab while facilitating your own professional goals. The PIs (Vaziri and Bowser) will be committed to your success: they will develop an individual training plan (IDP) that is tailored to your specific needs and will ensure that you attain your scientific and career goals.

Special Instructions

• For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services
• Minimum lab attendance is 9:00-6:00 M-F. Occasional late evenings and weekend days will also be necessary to ensure continuity of experiments. Administrative work (e.g. online trainings and certificates required by UNC) and data management and analysis will be done outside of these hours.

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.