The Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry (MCB) at Brown University is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate to lead one or some of the projects in our research group in the lab of Mamiko Yajima. We are the sea urchin embryology lab and study embryonic development with a focus on 1) asymmetric cell division, 2) metabolic regulation, 3) localized mRNA translation, and network-level analyses.

The position is intended for wet lab work, yet many of the projects integrate large dataset analysis, which will be supported by our computational biologists in the group. This position will be ideal for those who are interested in integrating both experimental and computational biology into one?s research.

Project description:

1)  Molecular evolution of polarity factors and asymmetric cell division: Discovering how molecular evolution of AGS, a polarity factor, alters the asymmetric cell division and developmental program during the course of echinoderm evolution (Reference article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31439829)

2)  Metabolic regulation during embryonic development: Identifying how metabolic regulation contributes to specific cellular signaling and gene regulations during asymmetric cell division of the sea urchin embryo

3)  Localized mRNA translation on the spindle: Identifying how Vasa, an RNA helicase, regulates translation with spatiotemporal precision during asymmetric cell division of the sea urchin embryo (Reference article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35444184)

Requirement: General knowledge and skills in cell and developmental biology.

Preferred skills: Experience in embryology and live imaging such as microinjection, optogenetic manipulations of a protein, and 4D-confocal imaging is preferred. Experience or knowledge in systems biology and/or multi-omics analyses is also welcomed.

Applicants must have completed all requirements for a doctoral degree before start of the position. Salary will be based on the NIH Postdoc scale that Brown follows and is commensurate with experience. 

Applicants should submit a CV, cover letter, up to three representative publications, and names and contact of three references. Application review will begin immediately.

The MCB Department at Brown is committed to centering efforts towards diversity, equity and inclusion in all our activities, and to constituting a community that welcomes members regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, and ability. These goals are grounded in our awareness of biases and barriers in STEM and in academia that weaken community and impede scientific progress and innovation.

Thus, we strive to be a community in which a diverse set of thoughts, perspectives and experiences are valued. We believe that everyone here should have a seat at the table and be given the opportunity to bring out their best in an environment where an individual?s strengths and specific challenges are recognized, and where as a community we work towards elevating every individual while collectively lowering barriers that impede them. We are a community committed to educating ourselves, to learning about and from each other, and to openly discussing biases, barriers and inequities that some of us may face, while committing ourselves to recognizing and eliminating them. We are committed to bringing this effort of equity-mindedness to our research laboratories, our classrooms, our meetings and our social events. In instances where we fail to do so, we commit to accepting feedback, learning from our mistakes and working to improve. We are also committed to actively combating racism and racist practices, advocating for and bringing about institutional change, and serving as a role model for the rest of the university.

As an EEO employer, Brown University provides equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination, harassment and retaliation based upon a person?s race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.

About Brown University

Located in historic Providence, Rhode Island and founded in 1764, Brown University is the seventh-oldest college in the United States. Brown is an independent, coeducational Ivy League institution comprising undergraduate and graduate programs, plus the Alpert Medical School, School of Engineering, School of Public Health, Executive Master of Healthcare Leadership and the IE Brown Executive MBA.

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