Postdoctoral Research Associate

Statement of the Job:

A postdoctoral position is available in the lab of Dr. Clarissa Henry at the University of Maine. The Henry lab uses zebrafish as a model to elucidate mechanisms underlying neuromuscular development and homeostasis. This current project focuses on tissue-specific roles for muscle-matrix adhesion in neuromuscular development and during neurodegenerative disease.

The candidate will join a collaborative research community with a newly built zebrafish facility and strong microscopy resources. Typical hiring salary for this soft-money funded position is up to $62,232 commensurate with qualifications and experience. 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Design and conduct hypothesis-driven experiments to elucidate mechanisms of neuromuscular degeneration
• Maintain, generate, and characterize transgenic and mutant zebrafish lines relevant to neuromuscular degenerative diseases
• Perform live imaging studies using confocal and light-sheet microscopy
• Utilize genetic mosaic analysis to determine cell-intrinsic versus intrinsic roles for genes implicated in muscular dystrophies
• Execute molecular and cellular biology techniques, including cloning, HRMA, Taqman, and sample preparation for deep sequencing
• Analyze complex datasets using appropriate statistical methods
• Integrate multi-modal data (e.g., genetics, imaging, and omics) to drive research insights
• Interpret results within the context of current scientific literature
• Troubleshoot experimental challenges and technical issues
• Maintain detailed, organized laboratory notebooks and records
• Prepare manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals
• Present research findings at national and international conferences
• Contribute to grant applications and project progress reports
• Develops and maintains professional relationships that reflect courtesy, civility, and mutual respect.
• Builds productive relationships with internal and external constituencies.
• Utilizes coaching and mentoring methods which provide an environment that is anticipatory, supportive, and encourages constructive feedback on performance.
• Commits to organizational improvement by identifying opportunities to improve, and recommending possible alternatives for a situation. 
• Performs other reasonably related duties as assigned.

Job Description (link)

About the University:
The University of Maine is a community of more than 11,900 undergraduate and graduate students, and 2,500 employees located on the Orono campus, the regional campus in Machias, and throughout the state. UMaine is a land, sea and space grant university, and maintains a leadership role as the University of Maine System's flagship institution. UMaine is the state's public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, dedicated to providing excellent teaching, research and service for Maine, the nation and the world. More information about UMaine is at umaine.edu. 

The University of Maine offers a wide range of benefits for employees including, but not limited to, tuition benefits (employee and dependent), comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short and long term disability as well as retirement plan options. 

UMaine is located in beautiful Central Maine. Many employees report that a primary reason for choosing to come to UMaine is quality of life. Numerous cultural activities, excellent public schools, safe neighborhoods, high quality medical care, little traffic, and a reasonable cost of living make the greater Bangor area a wonderful place to live. Visit the Maine Office of Tourism to learn more about what the Bangor region has to offer.

Qualifications:
Required: 

• Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Cell Biology, Development, Molecular Biology, Genetics, or related field by start date. 
• Experience with zebrafish husbandry and basic manipulation
• Significant experience with confocal microscopy
• Significant experience with time-lapse confocal microscopy
• Significant experience with image analysis using multiple approaches
• Strong background in molecular biology techniques
• Proficiency in data analysis and statistical methods
• Excellent organizational and record-ke