Assistant Professor of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics (non-tenure)

Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics invites applicants for an exciting Assistant Professor research position. Candidates should have strong scientific education and experience. Responsibilities will include assisting in running a vibrant research program, mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students, creating high quality presentations, communicating with internal and external collaborators, and active participation in the Department’s programs and activities. The position is in the laboratory of Dr. Andrew Marks.  The Assistant Professor at CUMC will be responsible for leading the lab’s effort to study the structure-function relationship of the calcium channel known as the ryanodine receptor (RyR). Abnormal calcium handling has been implicated in several diseases, and one of the candidate’s primary duties will be to investigate the role of RyR in pathophysiology using several unique systems including animal models. Responsibilities will include protein purification from tissues and/or recombinant protein systems, investigating protein biochemistry, analyzing protein-protein interactions, and electron Cryo-microscopy studies of normal RyR and RyR with known disease mutations.  The Assistant Professor position will also be responsible for overseeing the work of more junior research staff and may direct the implementation of laboratory processes/protocols.

The successful candidate should have experience in electron Cryo-microscopy and a successful track record in molecular biology/physiology.

The Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons is a vibrant, growing department that seeks to provide the most exciting environment for cutting edge science. Our faculty are leaders in the exploration of the mind, the heart, blood vessels, the kidney, spinal cord, genetic characterizations of leukemias, pain sensation, and many other areas. The faculty include a Nobel Laureate. The Department also includes three members of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and four members of the American Academy of Arts. There are several major areas of focus in the Department: developmental neurobiology & neuroscience; membrane biology; cardiovascular biology; structural biology; computational/systems biology. The faculty provide a rich environment for training, and applications for the graduate program are invited from outstanding students. Faculty in the Department are most proud of recent successes in our ongoing efforts to learn about, and eventually overcome, diseases that afflict millions of patients, including advances in understanding the molecular basis of schizophrenia, development of the nervous system that is relevant to treatment of spinal cord injury, genetic characterizations of osteoblast-induced leukemias, and new treatments for heart disease including coronary artery stent restenosis, heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias.