Postdoctoral Fellow in Drosophila Metabolomics
A postdoctoral position in the cutting-edge field of metabolomics is available in the laboratory of Laura Reed, within the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alabama. The Reed Lab is a highly interactive group that conducts research on the genetic basis of genotype-by-environment interactions contributing to metabolic disease and variation in Drosophila. Major areas of research include QTL mapping of loci interacting with diet to produce obesity and type-2 diabetes phenotypes, evolutionary genetics of complex traits, functional analysis of candidate genes for metabolic phenotypes, whole genome expression analysis of genetic and environmental variation, and metabolomic analyses.
This opening is for a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow with familiarity with Drosophila and some background in bioinformatic methods. The postdoc will work to facilitate the data curation and experimentation goals of the International Drosophila Metabolomics Curation Consortium (IDMCC, http://flygxe.ua.edu/metabolomics.html) including working to expand publically available tools such as MetScape 2.0 developed by researchers at the University of Michigan (metscape.ncibi.org<http://metscape.ncibi.org>, Karnovsky et al, 2012) and MetaCyc developed by researchers at SRI International in California (www.metacyc.org<http://www.metacyc.org>, Caspi et al, 2013) to incorporate Drosophila specific data. The postdoc will also work closely with the NIH Common Fund Metabolomics Data Center and Workbench (WDCW) at UC San Diego. While collating relevant data sources the postdoc will help identify critical gaps in the available knowledge needing further empirical work to fill, and would
then have the opportunity to conduct some of those studies.
All candidates must have received a Ph.D. in a relevant field.
The position is available for 2 years with the possibility of renewal contingent on securing external funding, and will include a competitive salary and full benefits.
A successful applicant will have:
· Extensive research experience
· Creativity and independence
· Genetic or molecular lab experience
· Computational or bioinformatics experience
· Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
Application review will begin May 15, 2014 and will continue until the position is filled. The successful applicant should be able to beginning working in the position between August 15, 2014 and October 15, 2014.
Submit an application to the departmental postdoctoral pool https://facultyjobs.ua.edu/postings/33497.
Materials should include:
1. Cover letter with a description of past research accomplishments and future research goals, (maximum of two pages) and the names and contact information for 3 references.
2. Curriculum vitae
Contact Dr. Laura Reed (lreed1@as.ua.edu<mailto:lreed1@as.ua.edu>) with questions regarding the position or application process. For further information about the Reed lab visit flygxe.ua.edu<http://flygxe.ua.edu>.
About the University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is the flagship campus of the University System of Alabama, with an enrollment of over 35,000 students. The University is committed to achieving excellence as one of the country’s primary centers of research and education. It is located in the vibrant college town of Tuscaloosa, AL, which boasts many cultural and athletic activities. The campus also benefits from the close proximity to the Birmingham metropolitan community.