Post-Doc Research Associate

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development.

Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence. Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country.

UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage, paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance. Chapel Hill regularly ranks as one of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, a reputation guided by the diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education and research.

Patient care: We promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.

Education: We prepare tomorrow`s healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce.

Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.

The laboratory of Dr. Tessa Andermann seeks a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to support an NIH R01-funded research program investigating antimicrobial tolerance and resistance in Enterobacterales in the gut microbiome. The successful candidate will lead a project that integrates classical microbiology with genomics to characterize clinical bacterial isolates and to define the mechanisms underlying -lactam tolerance.

The position entails advanced bench microbiology skills, along with a strong interest in bacterial pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance. Core responsibilities include: culturing and maintenance of a clinical isolate collection; antimicrobial susceptibility testing and time-kill (kinetic bactericidal) assays to characterize the activity of single agents and drug combinations; DNA extraction and preparation of samples for whole-genome sequencing; and microbial bioinformatic analysis of sequencing data, including genome assembly and annotation, detection of resistance genes and mobile genetic elements, and comparative and phylogenetic analyses that link genotype to phenotype.

The postdoctoral researcher is expected to work independently designing, troubleshooting, and interpreting experiments with minimal supervision as well as to present findings at lab meetings and scientific conferences and to contribute to manuscripts and grant progress reports. Depending on interest and experience, there may be opportunities to mentor graduate and undergraduate students and help shape the project's scientific direction.

PhD in microbiology, molecular biology, infectious diseases, or a closely related field.

Demonstrated hands-on experience with aseptic technique and bacterial culture, including growth and maintenance of Gram-negative organisms.
Experience with antimicrobial susceptibility testing and/or time-kill (kinetic bactericidal) assays.
Experience in microbial bioinformatics, including working in a Unix/command-line environment and analyzing whole-genome sequencing data (genome assembly, annotation, and detection of resistance determinants) using at least one scripting language (e.g., Python, R, or Bash).
Ability to work independently designing, troubleshooting, and managing a research project with minimal supervision.
A record of scientific productivity (peer-reviewed publications) commensurate with career stage.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.

Experience working with multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales or other clinical bacterial isolates.
Familiarity with BSL-2 practices and safe handling of clinical/pathogenic organisms.
Knowledge of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms (e.g., -lactamases and carbapenemases, efflux, porin loss) and mobile genetic elements.
Molecular biology experience ( PCR/qPCR, cloning, plasmid isolation and characterization).
Experience with comparative genomics, phylogenetics, or bacterial genome-wide association analysis.
Prior experience mentoring students or trainees.

Ability to work in a BSL-2 laboratory environment, including the safe handling of live bacterial cultures and clinical isolates while wearing appropriate personal protective equipment and following institutional biosafety protocols. The role involves repetitive bench tasks such as pipetting, extended periods standing or seated at a laboratory bench, and extended periods at a computer workstation for data analysis. Reasonable accommodations will be made in accordance with institutional policy.

For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services click here

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the University's Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at (919) 962-9982 or send an email to opahr@unc.edu.

Please note: The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.