Title: Postdoctoral Associate in Comparative Immunology
Unit: Research Foundation
Duration: 1 year with potential for reappointment for up to 2 additional years
Location: Downs Lab, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY
Salary: $59,000 annually plus benefits (https://benefits.rfsuny.org/regular–postdoctoral-employees/)
Position Description
The lab of Dr. Cynthia Downs (https://www.esf.edu/faculty/downs/index.php) at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) seeks to hire one Postdoctoral Associate to perform comparative immunology work. The individual will work on an NSF-funded research project in collaboration with Dr. Andreas Koenig at SUNY Upstate Medical University (Syracuse) and Dr. Jessica Brinkworth at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The successful candidate will be part of an interdisciplinary team investigating the comparative immunology of neutrophil functions across various mammalian species. Projects will involve quantifying neutrophil antibacterial functions and neutrophil cellular energetics during immune challenges ex vivo to test hypotheses about how body mass shapes investment in immune defenses.
Primary Responsibilities Include (but are not limited to):
The postdoc will be involved with isolating neutrophils from whole blood samples, conducting assays to antibacterial functions in neutrophils, quantifying cellular bioenergetics of neutrophils, and quantifying signaling pathways of neutrophils during an immune challenge using comparative transcriptomic approaches, and managing student technicians. The postdoc will also be encouraged to write new grants in an area related to the main project and to contribute to theory-based work in the workgroup. Mentoring and opportunities related to career development will be provided. This position requires travel to animal care facilities for lab work for up to two weeks at a time and may require relocation to the University of Illinois for three months for training in techniques, depending on prior experience. Candidates must be highly motivated, think independently, and work as part of integrated multidisciplinary research teams.
Please contact Cynthia Downs at cjdowns@esf.edu for additional information.
Required Qualifications:
A PhD in immunology, microbiology, integrative organismal biology, or another related field and experience with immunological and/or molecular techniques. Candidates must be willing to travel for training and sample collection.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience with aseptic and immunological lab techniques, including cell isolation from whole blood and cell culture.
- Experience raising microbial populations in and outside of eukaryotic cells, culturing a broad range of micro-organisms, and infection protocols.
- Familiarity with comparative evolutionary methods and allometric theory or a willingness to learn.
- Expertise with metabolic assays, metabolomic techniques, or both.
- Experience with transcriptomics lab work and analytical workflows and analyses.
- Experience with large datasets and Linux environments and proficiency in Program R. Experience with comparative analyses is a plus.
- Record of academic and research achievements.
Application Procedure: To apply, send a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three employment references (as a single attachment) to Dr. Cynthia Downs at cjdowns@esf.edu.
Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, but the first review will begin on April 15, 2025. A start date of May or June is preferred, but the start date is negotiable.
SUNY-ESF and the Broader Community
ESF is a specialized college within the 64-campus SUNY system, and a Carnegie R2 “High Research Activity” Institution that consistently earns high rankings in US News and World Report, Forbes, Princeton Review, and other national college guidebooks. With a total enrollment of about 2,200 undergraduates and 400 graduate students, combined with the immediate proximity of Syracuse University and Upstate Medical University, ESF provides an intimate, small-college atmosphere within a vibrant, large-university setting. ESF’s extended campuses include more than 25,000 acres of forest properties, both close to Syracuse and across the Adirondack Park, which provide numerous opportunities for experiential coursework, research, and public outreach.
Located on the eastern edge of the Finger Lakes region, Syracuse is a small city in a rural region offering a diversity of natural and cultural amenities, a low cost of living, and a high quality of life – ranking among the top 10 percent of “Best Places to Live” in “The Places Rated Almanac.” Syracuse is situated with easy access to New York City, the Adirondack Park, Lake Ontario, and many other points of interest in the eastern United States and Canada.
Additional Information
As an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer, The Research Foundation for SUNY will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, creed, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, physical and mental disability, criminal record, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, status with respect to receiving public assistance, domestic violence victim status, a disabled, special, recently separated, active duty wartime, campaign badge, Armed Forces service medal veteran, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.
The Research Foundation for The State University of New York offers exceptional benefits such as healthcare, dental, vision, pension plans, competitive pay, generous paid time off, life insurance and long-term disability insurance. https://benefits.rfsuny.org/regular–postdoctoral-employees/
The Research Foundation for the State University of New York is not an agency or instrumentality of the State of New York. Employees of the Research Foundation for the State University of New York are not state employees, do not participate in any state retirement system, and do not receive state fringe benefits. The Research Foundation for the State University of New York operates under a contract with The State University of New York and receives no directly appropriate state funding.
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