Research Associate; Liu Lab

Overview

• Department: Genetics - 423501
• Career Area: Research Professionals
• Final date to receive applications: 03/31/2026
• Position Type: Temporary Staff (EHRA NF)
• Position Title: Research Associate (Liu Lab)
• Position Number:
• Vacancy : N000832
• FTE: 1
• Hours Per Week: 40
• Position Location: North Carolina, US
• Hiring Range: $40,000
• Proposed
  
  Start Date:
  
  09/01/2026
• Estimated Duration of Appointment: 12 months

Be a Tar Heel!: 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. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks that include numerous retail and restaurant discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates for performing arts events.

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. 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 Liu Lab in the Department of Genetics is looking for a Research Associate to conduct bacterial phenotyping research to characterize evolved physiological traits and systematically link bacterial phenotypes to underlying genomic variants. This position involves the application of microscopy-based assays and bacterial genetic approaches to dissect genotype-phenotype relationships. Responsibilities include developing and optimizing high-throughput phenotyping workflows, performing targeted genetic manipulations, and integrating phenotypic data with genomic analyses to understand bacterial adaptation and evolution.

Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required (or foreign degree equivalent); for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity, will accept a relevant Bachelor’s degree (or foreign degree equivalent) and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution. May require terminal degree and licensure.

MS in Genetics, or related field.

1. Experience with genomic and RNA-seq data analysis.
2. Proficiency in microscopy techniques and microscope operation.
3. Bioinformatics skills, including primer design and sequence alignment.
4. Basic proficiency in the R programming language.

Not Applicable.