Postdoctoral Associate (Mass Spectrometry Imaging)

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Miami (FL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The Nima Sharifi Laboratory seeks a Postdoctoral Associate to lead development and application of innovative mass spectrometry imaging technologies for translational and clinical research. You will study steroid metabolism, tumor metabolism, and therapeutic resistance in prostate and genitourinary cancers, collaborating with clinicians and an interdisciplinary team.

Responsibilities include instrument development, data analysis, manuscript preparation, and biomarker translation.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in chemistry, biochemistry, or related field.
• 2+ years of relevant research/lab experience involving mass spectrometry MSI.
• Hands-on experience with MALDI-MSI instrumentation and related techniques.

Responsibilities

• Develop and validate new mass spectrometry imaging technologies and protocols.
• Support projects by ensuring collection and analysis of high-quality data.
• Collaborate with chemists, biologists, bioinformaticians and clinicians to integrate MSI data with other methods.
• Maintain detailed records of experiments, procedures, and results.
• Prepare comprehensive reports, summaries, and presentations of findings.
• Contribute to manuscript preparation and conference presentations.

Skills

Mass spectrometry

Data analysis

Project leadership

MSI

Education

Ph.D. in chemistry/biochemistry or related field

Tools

Bruker timsTOF fleX

SCiLS Lab

FlexImaging

Cardinal

MSiReader

METASPACE

Job description

The Nima Sharifi Laboratory is seeking to recruit a Postdoctoral Associate to lead the development and application of innovative mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) technologies for translational and clinical research. This position will focus on elucidating the roles of steroid metabolism, tumor metabolism, and therapeutic resistance in prostate and other genitourinary cancers. In close collaboration with principal investigators and an exceptional multidisciplinary clinical urology team, the successful candidate will advance the translation of spatial metabolomic discoveries into clinically actionable biomarkers and novel therapeutic strategies.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and validate new mass spectrometry technologies and protocols to improve system performance and address analytical challenges.
• Support research projects by ensuring the collection and analysis of high-quality data.
• Collaborate with researchers, including chemists, biologists, bioinformaticians, and clinicians to integrate mass spectrometry data with other methods and experiments.
• Maintain detailed and accurate records of experiments, procedures, and results.
• Prepare comprehensive reports, summaries, and presentations of research findings for internal and external audiences.
• Contribute to the preparation of manuscripts for peer-reviewed journal publications and presentations at scientific conferences.
• Operate, maintain, and calibrate mass spectrometry instruments, including sample preparation and routine upkeep.
• Troubleshoot instrumentation and data quality issues to ensure accurate and reproducible results.

Education:

• Ph.D. in chemistry, biochemistry, or another relevant field required

Experience:

• Ability to design and lead mass spectrometry-based projects with minimal oversight.
• 2+ years of relevant experience in a research or laboratory environment including:
  • Working knowledge of MALDI-MSI instrumentation, operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting (Experience with Bruker timsTOF fleX Preferred).
  • Knowledge of on-tissue derivatization, matrix application strategies, and extraction protocols
  • Hands-on experience with sample preparation and extraction of small molecules from various biological matrices.
  • Hands-on experience with different chromatographic separation and mass spectrometry methodologies for the analysis of lipids, steroid hormones, and other small molecules.
  • Experience with MSI data processing, statistical analysis, and visualization using platforms such as SCiLS Lab, FlexImaging, Cardinal, METASPACE, MSiReader, HDI, or similar software.