Career Center

Position Description

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

The University of Washington, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology is a broad and dynamic department that strives for a consistent level of high achievement in all of its activities. The Department offers full diagnostic services in all areas of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, is a top ranked research organization as measured by research awards from the National Institutes of Health and offers an array of specialized educational training programs.

The UW Medicine Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology brings together state-of-the-art technology and highly trained, world renowned personnel to provide comprehensive diagnostic and personalized service to physicians, community hospitals, independent laboratories, and other health care organizations. Our operations are based at the University of Washington Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, South Lake Union, Northwest Hospital and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Faculty members also serve at Seattle Children's Hospital, the Veteran's Administration Puget Sound Healthcare System, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. These collaborative efforts have generated innovative, translational studies in the basic mechanisms of disease as they apply to diagnostic laboratory medicine and pathology.

The Darvas Lab has an outstanding opportunity for a 1.0 FTE Postdoctoral Scholar.

• This full-time, 12-month position has immediate availability for an initial one-year appointment. The position will be renewable annually contingent on performance and available funding.
• The base salary range for this position will be: $5,459 to $7,097 per month ($65,508 to $85,165 annually), per scale 0-5 years experience (to be approved).

General Duties:

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join our collaborative effort on the relationship between damage to astrocytes and Alzheimer's disease. Our goal is to understand how astrocytic glutamate transport interacts with amyloid and tau pathology. Using mouse models and viral vectors, as a powerful system, we take advantage of technology that allows cell-type specific and temporal control over pathologic processes. Our goal is to develop animal model data sets based on behavior and pathology that we will integrate with data sets on electrophysiology and human pathology from external collaborators to answer fundamental questions about astrocytic contributions to AD and advance our knowledge of astrocytic glutamate transporters as a potential molecular target for intervention in Alzheimer's disease. This project, an NIH-funded collaboration between three labs, will include opportunities to pursue interests in behavior corresponding to the syndrome of dementia in Alzheimer's disease, aging, neuropathology, molecular genetics, and viral-vector mediated gene expression.

Conditions of Employment:

• Will be considered essential staff and as such will be required to report to work when scheduled despite inclement weather.
• Must be able to meet with all shifts on a regular basis.
• May work weekends and holidays.
• May be asked to work hours beyond normal open hours of the laboratory depending on staffing needs and current testing requirements.

Employees working in Laboratory Medicine

• Sit at a desk or bench 30" to 37" high.
• Use a computer keyboard and mouse.
• Communicate by telephone and email.
• Work with bio hazardous specimens, including tissues and fluids, which may be infected with infectious particles, viruses and microorganisms. May be exposed to bloodborne pathogens through needle stick or biohazard spill.
• Work with and transport hazardous materials, such as solvents, acids and bases.
• Lift containers (weighing 40 pounds or less) of supplies, reports, and specimens.
• Wear protective equipment, such as gloves, gowns, masks and goggles, when appropriate.
• Operate equipment such as a centrifuge, computer keyboard & printer, fume hood, biosafety cabinet, pipetting device, and syringe with needle.

Safety/Response to Emergencies:

• Maintain awareness of safety procedures; implement safety rules and regulations in compliance with institution standards.
• Train staff in safety, and maintain safety as a priority within the department.
• Have and exercise knowledge of laboratory safety and proper precautions when dealing with bio-hazardous, radioactive, corrosive, explosive and/or flammable materials.
• Recognize potential safety hazards and take corrective action to resolve hazards or notify appropriate personnel.
• Participate in interdepartmental efforts to facilitate a safe environment for all staff and patients.
• Ensure staff knows location of safety information and supplies and are able to access information in response to queries or emergency situations.
• Ensure staff keeps abreast of safety procedures including fire plan, disaster drills, evacuation routes, etc.
• Participate in laboratory disaster preparedness drills.

Policies and Procedures:

• Follows established policies, procedures and techniques at all times.
• Integrates new or revised procedures into the workplace.
• Perform other duties as required.

Postdoctoral scholars are represented by UAW 4121 and are subject to the collective bargaining agreement, unless agreed exclusion criteria apply. For more information, please visit the University of Washington Labor Relations website.

Qualifications

Requirements:

Education requirement, minimum: PhD in Neurosciences or equivalent.

Additional Requirements:

We are seeking someone with experience, or closely related research experience, in any one of the following areas - neurodegenerative diseases (preferentially Alzheimer's disease), astrocyte biology, or mouse genetics. The ability to work extremely well in a team is essential. This is a great opportunity for new or junior post-doctoral fellows who enjoy working at the cutting edge of a rapidly moving field and who are looking to work in a discipline that directly impacts a major disease that limits life of people in the Western world. A record of productive research is required. Candidates must be able to perform independent scientific research, analyze and evaluate findings, assist in the completion of grant applications and regulatory documents, write articles for publication; prepare and make formal presentations of research results.

Desired:

Experience with viral vectors or mouse behavior testing would be desirable.

Instructions

Applicants should send (via Interfolio) their CV, cover letter, and contact information for at least three references addressed to Martin Darvas, PhD, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA - mdarvas@uw.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.

Benefits Information

A summary of benefits associated with this title/rank can be found at https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/benefit-summary-pdfs/. Appointees solely employed and paid directly by a non-UW entity are not UW employees and are not eligible for UW or Washington State employee benefits.

Commitment to Diversity

The University of Washington is committed to building diversity among its faculty, librarian, staff, and student communities, and articulates that commitment in the UW Diversity Blueprint (http://www.washington.edu/diversity/diversity-blueprint/). Additionally, the University's Faculty Code recognizes faculty efforts in research, teaching and/or service that address diversity and equal opportunity as important contributions to a faculty member's academic profile and responsibilities (https://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/FCG/FCCH24.html#2432).

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Disability Services

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.