Entry Scientist- Petrucceli Lab

Overview

The University of Miami/UHealth Office of the Dean has an exciting opportunity for a Full Time Post Doctoral Associate to work at the UHealth campus in Miami, Fl.

The Post Doctoral Associate performs scientific research and studies under the supervision of managing staff. Moreover, the Post Doctoral Associate promotes institutional recognition through literal contributions to the scientific community.

• Conducts research on specific areas of study as assigned.
• Prepares research reports and technical papers for publishing.
• Investigates the feasibility of applying a wide variety of scientific principles and theories.
• Maintains substantial knowledge of state-of-the-art principles and theories. Develops advanced analytical models and systems and provides solutions and analyses to support strategic and tactical decisions.
• Adheres to University and unit-level policies and procedures and safeguards University assets.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities as necessary.

Education: MD or Ph.D. in relevant field

Experience: No Previous Experience Required

Certification and Licensing: Refer To Department Description For Applicable Certification Requirements

• Learning Agility:
  Ability to learn new procedures, technologies, and protocols, and adapt to changing priorities and work demands.
• Teamwork:
  Ability to work collaboratively with others and contribute to a team environment.
• Technical Proficiency:
  Skilled in using office software, technology, and relevant computer applications.
• Communication:
  Strong and clear written and verbal communication skills for interacting with colleagues and stakeholders.

This is a core job profile description and is not reflective of all duties that may be assigned to a specific position in each individual department. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and primary responsibilities of this core job profile. Specific duties and tasks may vary based upon departmental needs. Other duties may be assigned to the above consistent with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the job.

• Design, conduct, and analyze experiments investigating neurovascular mechanisms in ALS, FTD, and Alzheimer’s disease, with a focus on endothelial dysfunction, blood-brain barrier (BBB) biology, and RNA-binding protein (TDP-43) pathology.
• Develop and utilize animal models (e.g., knock-in mouse, endothelial-specific deletion) and human tissue analyses (e.g., inCITE-seq) to study disease mechanisms and validate translational relevance.
• Integrate molecular, cellular, and systems-level approaches to uncover causal pathways and therapeutic targets in neurodegeneration.

• Apply advanced molecular biology, epigenetics, and RNA regulation techniques to dissect disease mechanisms.
• Conduct cross-species validation and mechanistic studies using transcriptomics, proteomics, and imaging.
• Analyze and interpret complex datasets, ensuring rigorous experimental design and reproducibility.

• Draft, edit, and submit scientific research grants, progress reports, and manuscripts for high-impact journals (e.g., Science Advances, Nature Neuroscience).
• Present findings at international conferences (e.g., Cold Spring Harbor, Gordon Research, NAVBO) and invited talks at leading institutions.
• Author reviews, book chapters, and abstracts; communicate research to both academic and public audiences.

• Collaborate with principal investigators, research scientists, and external partners on multi-institutional projects.
• Mentor undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in experimental design, molecular methodology, and data interpretation.
• Serve as a peer reviewer for high-impact journals and as a judge for scientific presentations.

• Advance early vascular diagnostics and therapeutic innovation for neurodegenerative diseases.
• Translate mechanistic discoveries into actionable strategies for BBB stabilization and neuroprotection.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Biotechnology, Biological Science, or related field. [Ashok Cheemala | PDF]

Experience:

• Demonstrated research experience in neurovascular biology, neurodegeneration, molecular oncology, and translational neuroscience.
• Experience in experimental model development, grant writing, manuscript preparation, and collaborative scientific projects.
• Recognized for field-defining discoveries, international presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.

Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes:

• Advanced proficiency in experimental design, molecular and cellular techniques, and data analysis.
• Expertise in neurovascular research, blood-brain barrier biology, and RNA…