A postdoctoral position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Leslie Aldrich in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Research in the Aldrich lab is focused on the development of small-molecule chemical probes to study the autophagy pathway in fundamental biology and disease. Our lab uses a combination of phenotypic and targeted approaches to initiate probe and drug discovery projects followed by synthetic/medicinal chemistry efforts to access prioritized hits and generate analogues to improve potency, selectivity, and chemical properties to support in vitro and in vivo evaluation.

We are seeking a postdoctoral research associate to support our chemical biology efforts for autophagy probe development and application to neurodegenerative diseases. Candidates should have a recent Ph.D. degree in chemistry, chemical biology, biochemistry, cell biology, pharmacology, or a related field. Competitive candidates will have the following characteristics: (1) Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team, (2) Strong self-motivation with experience in designing and testing hypotheses through the development and implementation of different biological assays, (3) Organization capabilities to plan experiments, meet deadlines, and keep detailed records of protocols and results, (4) Record of publications and presentations in chemical biology.

Key Responsibilities/ Duties:

• Design and perform biophysical and cell-based laboratory experiments
• Evaluate potency and selectivity of synthetic compounds using appropriate primary and secondary assays and counter-screens
• Use small-molecule tool compounds to study the role of specific proteins and protein-protein interactions in normal cells and disease models
• Collect, process, analyze, and interpret data using multiple techniques (e.g. fluorescence microscopy, western blotting, fluorescence polarization, etc.) and appropriate statistical analysis
• Maintain detailed lab notebook with recorded protocols, observations, and results
• Collaborate with Principal Investigator and other researchers to achieve research objectives
• Provide regular progress reports (written and oral) to Principal Investigator
• Mentor graduate students and undergraduate students in chemical biology
• Publish results in peer-reviewed journals
• Present results at Regional/National/International scientific conferences
• Contribute to lab equipment maintenance, safety, or other lab-specific duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must have a PhD/Doctoral Degree in chemistry, chemical biology, biochemistry, cell biology, pharmacology, or other related fields.
• Applicants in their last year as a PhD candidate will be considered.
• Applicants with prior postdoctoral experience (with first postdoctoral appointment dating back from August 2021) will be considered.
• Applicants with expertise in one or more of the following areas are preferred:
  • Mammalian cell culture and transfection
  • Protein expression and purification
  • High-throughput biophysical or cell-based assay development and implementation
  • Small-molecule target identification and validation

To apply, please submit a cover letter, CV, brief research summary, 1-2 representative publications, and contact information for three professional references via the UIC Job Board.