An immediate opening for an NIH post-doctoral fellowship (R01HL161142) to study genetic mechanisms in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is available in the Ray lab at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas (molecularneurobiology.org). Our laboratory takes a multidisciplinary approach using a variety of genetic, molecular, and viral techniques to target highly specific brainstem cell types for functional, molecular and anatomical study in physiology, behavior, and disease.
This position will head an effort to carry out a first of its kind genetic screen to identify genes that are required for neuro-developmental and cellular processes critical to protective neonate respiratory reflexes that may be perturbed in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other congenital respiratory pathophysiologies. To that end, we are in a unique position to leverage the Baylor College of Medicine Knockout Mouse Project-2 (KOMP2) effort to knock out or mutate and characterize every gene in the mouse genome. To screen KOMP2 mutants, we will utilize an array of novel and highly innovative closed loop feature detection robotic platforms for automated neonate cardio-respiratory measurements developed in our lab. View video. Successful outcomes will uncover genetic, molecular, and cellular developmental processes critical to neonate cardio-respiratory function that may play a role in congenital pathophysiologies.
The candidate should have a doctoral degree, strong research background, and initiative to lead projects. The ideal candidate would have experience in respiratory physiology, genetic mouse models, and statistical knowledge sufficient for handling datasets and addressing different variance components for large scale experiments (phenotypic screens).
Additionally, our laboratory is active in the development of new tools for improved access and study of neural circuits and thus offers several training opportunities in mouse genetic model generation (including CRISPR/Cas9 techniques), development of novel viral vectors, as well as protein engineering and purification for in vivo applications that offers exquisite training opportunities.
Baylor College of Medicine offers an outstanding research environment at the Texas Medical Center with more than 50 non-profit institutions which offers one of the highest densities of clinical, translational, and basic science research facilities in the world. BCM and the Ray lab are equal opportunity employers committed to building a culturally diverse intellectual community and encourage applications from women and minorities.