Vaccine Immunogen Design and Testing

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD and surrounding area

The Molecular Immunoengineering Section (MIS) at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), located on the main National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda, Maryland, is seeking to fill a postdoctoral position in the areas of vaccinology and immunology.

The MIS is part of a multidisciplinary research environment at the VRC. The MIS aims to conceive novel vaccine concepts that elicit broad and potent protective immune responses against influenza virus and provide a mechanistic principle for designing vaccines for other hypervariable pathogens such as coronaviruses and HIV-1. We are dedicated to advancing vaccine immunogen design beyond structure-based protein engineering by combining concepts and principles from multiple disciplines, including, but not limited to, immunobiology, biochemistry, biophysics, nanotechnology, and computational biology. Our interests span from basic immunology and virology to translational sciences with the goal of advancing vaccine concepts that would radically improve immune responses to vaccines.

The VRC’s mission is to apply the latest concepts in disease pathogenesis and immunology, and scientific and technological innovation to design, develop, manufacture pilot clinical lots, and clinically evaluate investigational vaccines, antibody-based products, and other biomedical interventions. The VRC has a highly focused and specialized organizational structure within the intramural research program of the NIH, with an integrated, collaborative, and multi-disciplinary approach that maximizes scientific discovery to generate prototype vaccines and biologics for clinical studies, and to accelerate their development. More information about the VRC, its organization, and its research portfolio can be found at https://www.niaid.nih.gov/about/vrc .

We are looking for creative, self-motivated individuals who are interested in applying innovative research tools to challenges associated with vaccine design for influenza virus and other viruses in a fast-paced and highly collaborative research environment.

Applicants who meet the following requirements will be considered for the positions:

• Ph.D. in immunology, virology, biochemistry, or a related field
• Expertise in protein biochemistry and immunological techniques
• Knowledge of structural and computational tools such as Rosetta, Python, and R
• Clear sense of organization, purpose, and accountability
  Prior experience in the following areas is highly desired:
• Vaccine immunobiology
• Immunoengineering
• Host-pathogen interaction
• Protein design
• Antibody discovery

Successful candidates should have a strong track record of scientific publications and less than four years of postdoctoral experience. The candidate must have excellent interpersonal communication skills and be able to work well both independently and in a multidisciplinary team.

Interested applicants should send a curriculum vitae (CV) along with a cover letter via email to: Dr. Masaru Kanekiyo at [email protected] using the following subject line: “Postdoc application – LastName”

Women and people from groups underrepresented in biomedical research are especially encouraged to apply. The NIH is dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs.