Postdoctoral Position in Chordate Comparative Embryology

A recent PhD or junior-level Postdoctoral Fellow is sought to join the Rui Diogo laboratory, at the Howard University College of Medicine, Department of Anatomy (Washington DC).

We are interested in a candidate that will contribute to uncover evolutionary and developmental mechanisms underlying both hard tissue (cartilages and bones) and soft tissue (mainly muscles) formation and patterning during ontogeny of a wide range of vertebrate taxa, as well as soft tissue in non-vertebrate taxa such as sea squirts. Some of the issues and broader questions in which we are particularly interested include: the parallelism between ontogeny and phylogeny, the remarkable similarity between the hard and particularly the soft tissues of the upper and lower limbs of tetrapods, the importance of evolutionary reversions/neotenic events, the study of birth defects and their implications for medicine and for the understanding of evolutionary biology, and the regeneration of hard and soft tissues in key vertebrate taxa. For more information about these subjects and about other issues being studied in the lab, please see www.ruidiogolab.com.

The successful candidate will have a PhD degree with a broad experience in molecular biology and developmental biology (e.g., doing/using developmental techniques such as antibody staining, in situs, and cell tracing, among others), backed by publications in peer-reviewed 
journals, and also some experience in comparative anatomy. He/She will have the skills and motivation to pursue a career in research, be interested in studying and comparing a wide range of taxa and various model organisms and in discussing various evolutionary and developmental issues.

There are funds available for two years, the first contract being for one year, the second contract depending on the productivity, interest and dedication of the candidate. There are possibilities to continue being part of the lab after the two-year period of the post-doc position. The post-doc will also have the opportunity to take classes, and then to be instructor, of human gross anatomy; this will further allow him/her to also postulate for faculty positions in medical schools in the DC area (including Howard University) as well as in other regions.

Interested candidates should send a CV including research interests, a list of publications and the names and contact information for three references to Rui Diogo, at rui.diogo@howard.edu. Please write “post-doc in Diogo’s lab” followed by your last name in the email subject.

Howard University is a historical University situated in the center of Washington DC, which is a beautiful, green and enjoyable city with numerous cultural and outdoor activities. The Department of Anatomy provides a prosperous, resourceful and multidisciplinary environment for biomedical research, includes faculty with a broad experience in developmental biology, paleontology, neurobiology, comparative anatomy and medicine. We have strong ties with surrounding institutions, particularly with George Washington University, and the candidate will probably have the opportunity to do part of his/her research at those institutions and thus to expand his/her knowledge and academic connections.