Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate - Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Development

The University of Southern California (USC) School of Pharmacy seeks a Postdoctoral Scholar – Research Associate to join the laboratory of Dr. Paul Seidler in the Department of Pharmacology & Pharmaceutical Sciences. 

The focus of this budding laboratory is on Alzheimer’s Disease drug development.  The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the laboratory alongside the PI.  The primary roles of the Postdoctoral Researcher will be focusing on the conjugation and analysis of activity and specificity of nanoparticle conjugates with drug-like molecules.  Assays include a battery of in vitro and cell-based screens and the development of mass spectrometry approaches to assess small molecule binding sites on amyloid-like protein fibrils.  The Postdoctoral Researcher will also be responsible for purifying amyloid-like fibrils from human autopsied brain tissues and determining CryoEM structures of them bound to a subset of small molecules.  

As part of their training and research, the candidate can expect regular interactions with the PI, members of the USC Centers for NanoImaging (CNI), Advanced Research Computing (CARC), and Mass Spectrometry, which is housed at the USC School of Pharmacy.  Additional interactions are expected with local collaborators at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Departments of Pathology and Chemistry.   

Desired scientific qualifications include a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Biophysical or Structural Biology, Chemistry, Materials Sciences, Bioengineering, or related fields of study.  Experience with negative-stain and cryo-electron microscopy is highly desired, as is experience with protein purification, nanoparticle chemistry, and biochemical and cell-based assay development.  The candidate should exhibit excellent communication and documentation skills as an important responsibility of the is to also advance projects by collaboration with trainees in the laboratory of the PI and collaborating labs. 

The USC School of Pharmacy is located downtown L.A. and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the "Trojan Family," which is comprised of the faculty, students and staff that make the university what it is.

Desired scientific qualifications include a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Biophysical or Structural Biology, Chemistry, Materials Sciences, Bioengineering, or related fields of study.  Experience with negative-stain and cryo-electron microscopy is highly desired, as is experience with protein purification, nanoparticle chemistry, and biochemical and cell-based assay development.  The candidate should exhibit excellent communication and documentation skills as an important responsibility of the is to also advance projects by collaboration with trainees in the laboratory of the PI and collaborating labs.