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Developmental Epigenetics Research Scientist

Employer
University of Virginia
Location
Charlottesville, VA

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Job Details

Job location: Charlottesville, VA


Employment Type: Full-time
Posted data: 2020-07-06
Req: R0016268

The Connelly Laboratory at the University of Virginia has an immediate opening for an epigeneticist in a Research Scientist role. Join our team to be help build powerful translational models of epigenetic change in response to early environment, for applications ranging from model system development to human behavioral and neural prediction and intervention.

We invite applications from researchers with interdisciplinary training in human development, epigenetics, and neuroscience to lead an arm of a translational neuroscience project focusing on epigenetic change in the oxytocin receptor. The researcher will have the opportunity to collaborate closely with colleagues in the nearby Curry School of Education, School of Medicine and School of Engineering, to initiate work with modeling maternal-infant interaction and epigenetic change. In addition, the researcher will take on a senior role in the laboratory. They will help train graduate and undergraduate students in the areas of epigenetics and human development and assist lab members with molecular assays for measurement of the oxytocin system and DNA and RNA analysis when needed. The scientist will administer relevant regulatory protocols for animal and biosafety work, maintain detailed scientific records of their work, and help keep laboratory safety standards. They will have the opportunity to write high quality scientific papers, aid in drafting grant proposals, and present their results at national or international conferences.

The Connelly Lab performs cutting-edge research in translational neuroepigenetics. We are particularly interested in the use of the DNA methylation state of genes as markers for neural development, behavior and disorder, and genomewide methods to identify transcriptome changes in response to early experience. The laboratory is well funded, dynamic, collaborative, and collegial. Learn more at www.connellylab.com.

The historic University of Virginia is consistently ranked one of the top 3 public universities in the country by US News and World Report, with a vibrant research enterprise that support cross-disciplinary scholarship. We are located in beautiful Charlottesville, VA, near the Blue Ridge mountains, with a strong cultural and restaurant scene and college town energy. Travel to Washington, DC in just two hours, or the Atlantic ocean in three.

QUALIFICATIONS: Completion of Ph.D. in neuroscience or a related discipline with an emphasis in human development and a minimum of 3 years hands-on postdoctoral training experience in an epigenetics laboratory. Previous experience with animals is a plus. Strong writing ability, ability to work with minimal supervision in a collaborative framework and demonstrated eagerness to learn new techniques and skills is required. Required technical skills: pyrosequencing for DNA methylation quantitation, DNA isolation from blood and saliva, fNIRs/EEG in human infants and eyetracking and behavioral analysis in mother-infant dyads.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Apply online at https://uva.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UVAJobs and attach the following items as a single complied PDF in the “Resume” field.

  • A cover letter that explains why you are interested in joining the Connelly lab in this unique position, how the position fits into your career goals, and a brief summary of your relevant research experience (max. 2 pages).
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Contact information for three (3) references if not already included in the CV. Listing them here represents permission to contact them unless you specify otherwise in your cover letter.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Review of applications will begin on August 6, 2020, and the position will remain open until filled. The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

This is a one-year appointment that may be renewed contingent upon available funding and satisfactory performance.

For questions regarding this position, please contact Jessica Connelly, Ph.D., Associate Professor, at jessica.connelly@virginia.edu.

For questions about the application process, please contact Rich Haverstrom, Faculty Search Advisor, at rkh6j@virginia.edu.

For more information on the benefits available to research scientists at UVA, visit and hr.virginia.edu/benefits.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.

Organization

In 1819, the University of Virginia established a new model for intellectual exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration in higher education. Two hundred years later, as a major research institution, we continue to challenge conventions, lead with ingenuity and advance knowledge for the common good.

What began as an innovative idea has become one of the nation’s leading public research universities, with over 21,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UVA also has over 3,000 full-time faculty offering more than 400 degrees.

Each of the University’s eleven schools has its own distinctive mission, working together to garner consistently high rankings—including #2 Best Value Public College (Princeton Review, 2016), #3 Public University in the Nation (U.S. News & World Report, 2016), and #3 Best Value Among Public Colleges (Kiplinger’s, 2016).  

As we invest in and strengthen our research capabilities, UVA seeks new faculty ready to uncover new insights, rewrite old rules and collaborate on intellectual discoveries.

RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS THAT CROSS DISCIPLINES

As an R1 institution, the University’s research centers, consortia and laboratories are on the leading edge of discovery and technology, offering collaborative spaces for students and faculty to solve global problems.

Our professors are recognized members of major national scholarly and professional organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Our faculty’s engagement in interdisciplinary research is being facilitated by new research institutes specializing in everything from big data to brain functioning, and by cluster hires across schools.

NATIONALLY RANKED HEALTH SYSTEM

UVA is also home to a nationally renowned academic medical center and the UVA Health System, which serves a three-part mission to treat patients, conduct translational research and train medical practitioners in a wide variety of disciplines.

Established as the nation’s 10th medical school in 1825, the institution has since grown to include a 612-bed hospital and a Level I trauma center, nationally recognized cancer and heart centers, a Children’s Hospital, and primary and specialty clinics throughout Central Virginia.

The UVA Medical Center is consistently ranked among the nation’s best hospitals by the U.S. News & World Report magazine and has been named among the top 25 percent in seven specialties.

INSPIRING STUDENTS, INSPIRED TEACHING

The vast majority of UVA students come from the top 10% of their high school class, as well as from all 50 states, over 142 countries and a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite their diversity, all UVA students share a love of learning and a drive to achieve.

One of the reasons students choose Virginia is our unique residential culture. At UVA, the community of students, faculty and staff personifies the Jeffersonian idea that living and learning are connected. The Academical Village was constructed to support a unique residential experience, with faculty living in the Pavilions, students occupying Lawn rooms and the world-famous Rotunda at its heart. The University’s residential culture continues to support this experience today—strengthened by students, faculty and staff rich in backgrounds, ideas and perspectives. Our unique culture is also paying dividends in innovation:  UVA’s faculty have generated more than 130 patents since 2010.

Perhaps most importantly, faculty come to UVA knowing that instruction is as important as research, and they pride themselves on their many teaching awards.  Our best professors look for ways to encourage, mentor and develop tomorrow’s leaders inside and outside the classroom.

LIFE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE

Living in Charlottesville you’ll find sophisticated restaurants, world-renowned wineries and breweries, cosmopolitan arts and music, friendly urban and suburban neighborhoods and a Piedmont landscape that has lured adventurous souls for centuries.  No wonder the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research named Charlottesville the “happiest city in America” in 2014.

In addition to UVA and its health system, several major employers have facilities in Charlottesville, including State Farm, Northrop Grumman, the U.S. Department of Defense, GE and others.  Charlottesville is also becoming a center for innovative start-up businesses.  The University also actively helps spouses and partners of faculty members build their networks and pursue employment opportunities with a wide variety of area employers. 

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, qualified individuals with disabilities are protected from discrimination and may be entitled to reasonable accommodations to assist in their pursuit of employment at the University. This includes assistance in completing the online job application as well as reasonable accommodations during the interview process. Please contact the UHR Service Center: 434.982.0123 orAskHR@virginia.edu to request assistance.

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