Postdoctoral Associate - BioSciences

Position Summary

Dr. Harini Iyer’s lab in the Department of Biosciences is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the field of Biochemistry and Cell Biology. The lab focuses on understanding the complex interactions between the nervous and immune systems during various stages using zebrafish as a model organism.

About the Role

The ideal candidate will have prior experience in animal husbandry and tissue culture, along with a comprehensive understanding of molecular biology, genetics, and neuroscience. The position is exclusively on-site in Houston, Texas, and is funded by a grant.

Responsibilities

• Affixes CRISPRs targeting genes associated with neurological disorders
• Generates CRISPR-Cas9 mutants in zebrafish
• Maintains fish lines
• Performs molecular biology experiments such as PCR assays, isolation, and purification of DNA/RNA
• Clones transgenes
• Documents, analyzes, and maintains research data
• Supports proposal development for research funding
• Mentors, oversees, and/or trains junior research team members
• Publishes and presents research findings
• Supports project management and collaboration across institutions or disciplines
• Designs and implements research protocols
• Adapts new procedures, methods, or instrumentation relative to research procedures

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Life Sciences or related field
• Experience in animal husbandry and tissue culture
• Expertise in molecular biology and genetics (e.g., CRISPR technology, cloning, DNA sequencing)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to write scholarly papers based on ongoing research
• Knowledge of modern research methods, data collection, and analyses
• Ability to work independently and professionally with minimal supervision

Skills

• Knowledge of tissue culture
• Experience with animal husbandry and maintenance
• Expertise in molecular biology and genetics (e.g., CRISPR technology, cloning, DNA sequencing, etc.)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as oral presentation skills
• Organization and time management skills
• Knowledge of the principles and techniques of Biochemistry and Cell Biology
• Able to work in a collaborative environment
• Able to work independently and professionally with minimal supervision and direction

Benefits

Rice University offers benefits including Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities.

If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support. If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu.