How to Apply
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.
Job Summary
Professor Randy Stockbridge seeks a candidate for an open Research Laboratory Specialist Lead position in the laboratory in the department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB) within the College of Literature, Sciences, and Arts (LSA). This position will combine lab management (20%) and research supervision/mentoring responsibilities (30%) with research responsibilities including cryo-EM screening, data collection, and processing, as well as wet lab biochemistry (50%).
The Stockbridge Lab integrates structural biology with other biochemical and biophysical techniques to understand how microbes withstand drugs and other sources of cellular stress. The successful candidate will contribute to multi-disciplinary and collaborative projects, and will have access to a vibrant intellectual community and state-of-the-art cryo-EM and laboratory facilities in the new Biological Sciences Building at Michigan.
This position is supported by an NIH R35 award, which are intended to facilitate long-term funding stability in laboratories. The successful candidate will have opportunities to mentor trainees, support ongoing research projects, and develop independent project directions together with the PI. The position would be ideal for scientists who would like to apply cryo-EM to achieve an integrative understanding of membrane transport physiology. This opening is available immediately.
The lab is a part of the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, MI.
Recent publications from the lab can be found here. I am committed to thoughtful, inclusive mentoring practices and the continued intellectual and professional growth of all laboratory personnel.
Mission Statement
The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.
Responsibilities*
Supervise research personnel 30%
- Supervise undergraduate students and technicians, including day-to-day assignments and long-term project goals.
- Mentor graduate students, including training new lab members in data collection, analysis, and helping with troubleshooting
- Supervise rotation student projects
- Provide feedback to graduate students on fellowship, manuscript, poster, talks drafts
Conduct research independently 40%
- Candidate should have experience in cryo-EM sample preparation, data collection, and processing
- Sample preparation: develop and optimize protocols for protein purification, reconstitution, and cryo-EM sample preparation
- Protocol development: optimize cryo-EM sample preparation, data collection, and processing approaches unique to each project
- Design, conduct and analyze experiments (including electron microscopy, biochemistry, and electrophysiology)
- Data analysis: interpret results of cryo-EM, biochemical, and electrophysiological experiments
- Communicate results in a variety of formats (figure generation, paper writing, oral communication)
Lab management 20%
- Coordinate equipment purchase and maintenance
- Help guide decisions about purchasing of resources for the lab
- Coordinate with University of Michigan IT support regarding computational and data storage resources, especially for cryo-EM data collection and analysis
Collaborative research projects 10%
- Create big picture and specific project goals in collaboration with other labs
- Meet with collaborators to plan experiments, develop methodology, and share results
- Communicate results in a variety of formats (figure generation, paper writing, oral communication)
Required Qualifications*
Minimum of a Doctoral degree or a Master's degree with Doctoral equivalent experience in structural biology, biochemistry, or a related field, and 6+ years laboratory experience with previous experience in cryo-EM (sample preparation, data collection, and data processing).
Modes of Work
Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.
Additional Information
Funding is available for at least two years but is contingent on satisfactory progress in year one.
The Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology conducts basic research about the function of all branches of life - bacteria, plants, and animals. The research portfolio includes more than 40 sponsored awards, amounting to more than $8 million. Learn more on the faculty and lab pages.
We are also home to the more 300 students each year who graduate with majors in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology; plant biology; biology, health and society; and microbiology.
As one of the world's great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.
To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision.
Background Screening
The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.
U-M EEO Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.