Description

Postdoctoral Position in Pain Neurobiology

 A postdoctoral position is available immediately in the laboratory of Dionéia Araldi, MS.c., Ph.D., in the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology at the University of Iowa.

The Araldi lab investigates signaling pathways that drive the transition from acute to chronic pain, with a focus on aging, neuropathic pain, chronic opioid use, and stress. The lab uses complementary rodent and human translational approaches to study pain-related mechanisms.

We are seeking a highly motivated scientist with a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience or a related field. Applicants should have strengths in a subset of the core research areas relevant to the position, with additional training provided as needed.

Required experience:

•      Experience with preclinical models of pain, including inflammatory and neuropathic pain syndromes
•      Strong hands-on experience with behavioral assessment of evoked and spontaneous pain, including assays such as the Randall-Selitto, von Frey, Hargreaves test, and weight-bearing tests
•      Experience with molecular biology techniques, including Western blotting, PCR, immunohistochemistry, and/or immunofluorescence
•      Experience with dorsal root ganglion (DRG) isolation, processing, and analysis

 Preferred experience:

•      Experience with statistical analysis software such as GraphPad Prism or R
•      Patch-clamp recording
•      Ca2+ imaging

The successful candidate will join a highly collaborative and interactive research team and will have the opportunity to contribute to high-impact publications. The position includes structured mentorship in manuscript preparation, career development awards, and preparation for the academic job market.

The postdoc will also be expected to present research at national and international scientific meetings and mentor junior trainees in the laboratory.

In addition, the candidate will participate in the Pain Research Program, which offers a highly collaborative training environment including didactic coursework, seminars, journal clubs, progress meetings, and grant-writing support. Trainees are encouraged to develop an independent research profile and pursue fellowship or career development funding early in the postdoctoral period.

Salary will follow the current NIH postdoctoral stipend scale and will be commensurate with experience. The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine is a major research and teaching center with a strong national reputation.

The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine has a national and international reputation as a major research and teaching center and ranks highly among U.S. News “Best Graduate Schools” (https://medicine.uiowa.edu/ui-carver-college-medicine-ranks-among-2023-best-graduate-schools-us-news). Iowa City is one of the most beautiful, safe, and collegial university towns in the Midwest, approximately 3.5 hours by car from Chicago, and offers a high standard of living, relatively low cost of living, and a rich cultural life. The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity employer.

Requirements

• Experience with preclinical models of pain, including inflammatory and neuropathic pain syndromes
• Strong hands-on experience with behavioral assessment of evoked and spontaneous pain, including assays such as the Randall-Selitto, von Frey, Hargreaves test, and weight-bearing tests
• Experience with molecular biology techniques, including Western blotting, PCR, immunohistochemistry, and/or immunofluorescence
• Experience with dorsal root ganglion (DRG) isolation, processing, and analysis