The Cammarato Lab is located in the Division of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. We are interested in basic mechanisms of striated muscle biology. Our group employs an array of imaging and analysis techniques to study "structural physiology" of cardiac and skeletal muscle from vertebrate (e.g. rodent, human engineered heart tissue) and invertebrate (i.e. Drosophila melanogaster) models. We study conserved myopathic processes and perform hierarchical and integrative analysis of muscle function from the level of single molecules and macromolecular complexes through the level of the tissue itself. For examples of recent projects and our general approach, please see: (1) Viswanathan, M.C., et al. "A role for actin flexibility in thin filament-mediated contractile regulation and myopathy." Nature Communications 11.1 (2020): 1-15, (2) Madan, A., et al. "TNNT2 mutations in the tropomyosin binding region of TNT1 disrupt its role in contractile inhibition and stimulate cardiac dysfunction." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117.31 (2020): 18822-18831, and (3) Blice-Baum, A.C., et al. "Modest overexpression of FOXO maintains cardiac proteostasis and ameliorates age-associated functional decline." Aging Cell 16.1 (2017): 93-103.
Qualifications
We are seeking a highly motivated individual with a Ph.D. or M.D. to complement one or several areas of ongoing investigation in our lab. Experience in Drosophila molecular genetics, and a willingness to expand training into vertebrate model systems, are required. Candidates should have a strong interest and background in one or more of the following: cardiovascular physiology, molecular biology, imaging and structural biology, bioinformatics and systems biology, cell biology, animal models of disease, and/or mouse transgenesis. Individuals with experience in muscle biology are strongly urged to apply. The successful applicant will have excellent organizational and communication skills, a commitment to detail, the ability to work both independently and as part of a larger team, and a demonstrated capacity to perform creative and original research. The position provides salary and benefits consistent with the NIH postdoctoral-fellow stipend scale.
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