Postdoctoral Research Scholar - oral influenza vaccination
The Department of Population Health and Pathobiology within the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University is seeking applicants for a fellow to lead a project investigating the role of oral influenza vaccination in generation of lactogenic immune protection in swine and their suckling piglets. Duties would include planning and conducting experiments under BSL-2 bio-containment conditions; establishing procedures and techniques; writing and editing manuscripts/articles; and provide educational guidance to students.
This position is part of a Gates Foundation-funded collaboration between Duke University and NCSU whose goal is to develop animal models of breast milk immunity after mucosal vaccination during the pre and postpartum periods. The project at NCSU aims to evaluate mucosal vaccines in the mother-neonatal dyad against influenza infection and to study the virus-host interactions in pig respiratory viral diseases. The ideal candidate would have a background in virology or immunology and have experience working with pigs.
The position requires the individual to display critical thinking and independent judgement as it relates to ongoing and new immunology, viral research with direct guidance from the Primary Investigator. The research is conducted at the BSL2 level of containment and utilizes the conventional pig animal model. The selected individual will participate in pig animal trials to evaluate the role of mucosal vaccination in generating lactogenic immunity against influenza infection including sample collection and processing. The candidate will establish and run immunological and virological assays to investigate the virus-host interaction and specific cellular responses to pig viral infections.
Duties and responsibilities
- Conduct infectious disease research investigating influenza pathogenesis and vaccine studies as a member of a large, multi-disciplinary team.
- Experience in immunological techniques including immune cell isolation, flow cytometry, ELISA, EliSpot, immunoblotting, hemagglutionation assay and immunohistochemistry.
- Provide technical support including molecular biology techniques such as RT-PCR.
- Work with animals: pig sampling, bleeding, milking, isolation of mononuclear cells and serum/whey, nasal swabs, tissue processing at the BSL2 level of containment.
- Develop, plan, and record experiments.
- Write and edit manuscripts and/or articles for publications and/or presentations.
- Process and prepare experimental data for statistical analysis, interpret and evaluate data
- Training of new students/visiting scholars/collaborators.
- Provide oversight of daily programmatic activities.
- Provide lab support and ensure compliance with university regulations.
- It is anticipated that the selected individual will serve as a co-investigator and/or key personnel and contribute to preliminary data for intramural and extramural research grant proposals.
More information
To find out more and to apply, visit the job description on North Carolina State University's jobs website.