Specialist in Structural Biology*

About the role

The Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (IND) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is seeking an outstanding and motivated individual to join our cutting-edge research institute aimed at discovering new therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. The successful incumbent will work as a structural biology specialist focused on deciphering the structural basis for neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), multiple system atrophy (MSA) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). This will involve solving high-resolution cryo-EM and/or cryo-ET structures of disease-relevant filaments, including co-structures with therapeutic targets.

Responsibilities

- Apply cryo-EM and/or cryo-ET methods to determine atomic-resolution structures of protein macromolecules. - Collaborate with team members across disciplines at the IND and UCSF to advance cryo-EM research efforts. - Communicate effectively with colleagues and contribute to the understanding of the structural basis of neurodegenerative disease-relevant protein macromolecules.

Requirements

- Junior Specialist: Baccalaureate degree (or equivalent degree) in Chemistry, Biophysics, or related field or at least four years of research experience. - Assistant Specialist: Master’s degree or a baccalaureate degree in Chemistry, Biophysics, or related field with three or more years of research experience. - Associate Specialist: Master’s degree (or equivalent degree) in Chemistry, Biophysics, or related field or five to ten years of experience in the relevant specialization. - Full Specialist: Terminal degree (or equivalent degree) in Chemistry, Biophysics, or related field or ten or more years of experience in the relevant specialization.

Qualifications

- 2+ years of experience in cryo-EM or cryo-ET including sample preparation, microscope operation, data collection, computational analysis, and 3D structure determination of protein macromolecules OR 2+ years of experience in high-resolution protein structure determination using x-ray crystallography or NMR with additional exposure to cryo-EM methodology. - Preferred: Ph.D. degree in Chemistry, Biophysics, or related field; experience using cryo-EM data collection and processing software including SerialEM, EPU, Scipion, RELION, cryoSPARC or related package; experience in cryo-ET sample preparation, data collection, and/or data processing; experience in protein expression, purification, and biochemistry OR purification of amyloid filaments from human and/or animal tissue; experience modeling protein-ligand complexes, including the use of Phenix, COOT, or related software; experience with density functional theory (DFT) or other computational modeling methods.

Benefits

This is a full-time position with excellent benefits. Salary is dependent upon experience.

Pay

Salary is dependent upon experience. A reasonable estimate for this position is $55,000-$194,800.

Schedule

Final date: Friday, Apr 23, 2027 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.