Post-Doctoral Associate in Retina Research

University of Minnesota; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 62,232 - 75,564; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays

Continuous learning opportunities

Medical, dental, and pharmacy plans

Disability and life insurance

Employee Assistance Program with counseling sessions

Job summary

A prominent educational institution is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow in Minneapolis to investigate immune responses in the retina. The position requires a PhD in a related field, along with experience in retinal biology and associated techniques such as qPCR and RNA-seq. Responsibilities include conducting in vivo experiments, pathway analyses, and mentoring junior trainees. Competitive pay and benefits are offered, including comprehensive healthcare, paid holidays, and opportunities for continuous learning.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise in retinal structure and function.
• Hands-on experience with mouse models of inflammation or degeneration.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills through publications.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct in vivo experiments using murine models.
• Conduct transcriptomic and pathway analyses.
• Use molecular and cellular tools to dissect pathways.
• Perform retinal functional assessments and gene expression analysis.
• Present findings and contribute to collaborative research discussions.

Skills

Experience with retinal immunopathology

Photoreceptor biology

Gene expression analysis

Molecular biology techniques

Flow cytometry

Confocal imaging

Education

PhD in Retinal Biology, Immunology, Molecular Biology, or closely related field

Tools

qPCR

Western blotting

CRISPR

RNA-seq

Job description

About the Job

Compensation Range: $62,232 - 75,564 annually; follows NIH stipend level by experience.

Work Arrangement: Position expected to work primarily on-site at the 3rd floor, Wallin Biomedical Biosciences. The Department retains the right to modify flexible work arrangement agreements on a temporary or permanent basis for any reason at any time.

Required Qualifications: PhD in Retinal Biology, Immunology, Molecular Biology, or a closely related biomedical field; experience with retinal immunopathology, photoreceptor biology, or RPE‑related degenerative disease models; demonstrated expertise in retinal structure and function, including experience with gene expression analysis; hands‑on experience with mouse models of inflammation, neuro‑degeneration, or retinal degeneration; strong written and verbal communication skills demonstrated through peer‑reviewed publications and conference presentations; demonstrated productivity through first‑author publications.

Preferred Qualifications: Skilled in molecular biology techniques including qPCR, cloning, western blotting, and CRISPR or shRNA‑based gene knockdown; experience with RNA‑seq or other transcriptomic analyses; experience in confocal imaging; experience in flow cytometry.

Job Description: This position seeks a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow to investigate how cell death sensors regulate immune responses, with an emerging interest in the retina. Building on prior work (PMID: 35969037, PMID: 36662852) we aim to explore how recognition of photoreceptors outer segments or dying cells maintains homeostasis, results in inflammation and degeneration or induces repair in the retina. The project will integrate mouse models of genetically modified cell death sensors, retinal degeneration and inflammation.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct in vivo experiments using murine models to study immune regulation and retinal degeneration.
• Conduct transcriptomic and pathway analyses (e.g., snRNAs‑seq, RNA‑seq) to uncover regulatory networks.
• Use molecular and cellular tools (e.g., gene knockdown, qPCR) to dissect cell death sensing pathways.
• Perform retinal functional assessments (e.g., ERG) and gene expression analysis in RPE and photoreceptors.
• Perform high‑dimensional flow cytometry for immune profiling.
• Present findings at lab meetings and scientific conferences; contribute to collaborative research discussions.
• Contribute to manuscript writing and data presentations for publication and conferences.
• Mentor junior trainees and contribute to the lab's collaborative and knowledge‑sharing culture.

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $62,232 - $75,564 annually; depending on education/qualifications/experience.

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off.
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training.
• Medical, dental, and pharmacy plans.
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• University HSA contributions.
• Disability and life insurance.
• Employee wellbeing program.
• Financial counseling services.
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost.

Equal Opportunity

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.