Location: Bloomington

Department: IU Bloomington Optometry

Position Announcement:

The Indiana University School of Optometry, a leader in basic science, translational and clinical research, is recruiting a skilled full-time research associate / postdoctoral fellow in vision science, cell and molecular biology and/or bioengineering with a proposed start date of spring/summer 2021. The laboratory is currently funded by NIH to investigate the signaling pathway that impact age-related eye pathologies. Utilizing novel protocols to probe eye lens biology from super-resolution microscopy to biochemistry to tissue biomechanical testing and computer modeling, the goal is to elucidate the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms that facilitate lifelong lens transparency and homeostasis (https://blogs.iu.edu/chenglab).

Indiana University is a major research University founded in 1820. It currently enrolls over 38,000 undergraduates and 10,000 graduate and professional students on the Bloomington campus with over 114,000 students in the University system. The School of Optometry has well-established professional degree and clinical programs, as well as widely recognized research and graduate programs. The School has two teaching clinics as well as a variety of externship and residency affiliations. Indiana University has an active commitment to community health and education. Additional information about the School and Indiana University is available at http://www.optometry.iu.edu.

Comprising a diverse community, Bloomington is located in a beautifully wooded and hilly area of the state where cultural and recreational opportunities abound, housing costs are low, schools are excellent, and commuting time is short. Additional information on the community of Bloomington can be found at https://www.visitbloomington.com.

Opportunities (would be happy to discuss other candidate-specific goals):

- Publish findings as well as attend local, national and international conferences to present work
- Provide mentorship to graduate and undergraduate students in the laboratory
- Mass spectrometry and biochemistry to identify receptor-ligand pairs
- Super-resolution confocal and electron microscopy and novel protocol development for imaging subcellular structures
- Biomechanical testing of tissues and computer modeling
- Small molecule agonists and inhibitors testing to determine active signaling pathways in cells

Basic Qualifications:

Required: Candidates should possess good interpersonal and communication skills, excellent organizational skills, strong work ethic and a high motivation to learn. Salary and rank will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

PhD in vision science, biology, bioengineering or related scientific field by time of appointment.

Additional Qualifications:

Preferred Skills:
- Experience in confocal microscopy, cell culture, traditional and quantitative real-time PCR, Western blots, immunoprecipitation, mass spectrometry, microdissection and/or biomechanical testing and modeling
- Experience in mouse colony management
- Demonstrated experience in publishing findings, independence in conducting a variety of experimental approaches and generating hypotheses/guiding an independent research project

Department Contact for Questions:

Dr. Catherine Cheng at ckcheng@indiana.edu

OAA #: 22011-19

Appointment Status: Non-Tenure Track