Research Fellow (Jurkunas)

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

Job Summary

Education

Can this role accept experience in lieu of a degree?

Licenses and Credentials

Experience

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Pay Range: $70,000.00 - $71,750.00/Annual

ABOUT US:

Massachusetts Eye and Ear is an international center for treatment and home to the world's largest vision and hearing research centers. Mass. Eye and Ear is a member of Mass General Brigham and a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.

Mass. Eye and Ear clinicians are driven by a mission to find cures for blindness, deafness and diseases of the head and neck. Internationally acclaimed since its founding in 1824, Mass. Eye and Ear employs full-time, board-certified physicians who offer high quality and affordable specialty care that ranges from the routine to the very complex. Learn more about our Mission, Vision and Values and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on our site.

Providing a safe environment for everyone is the core tenet of our Safe Care Commitment. Across Mass General Brigham, employees are doing their part to ensure that the hospitals, clinics, practices and office spaces across our system are safe and ready.

Mass. Eye and Ear physicians are located at our main campus in Boston, and at our suburban locations in the greater Boston and Providence areas, across 21 locations.

ABOUT JURKUNAS LAB:

The Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, has an immediate opening for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Dr. Ula Jurkunas laboratory. Dr. Jurkunas is a clinician-scientist who focuses on the role of oxidative stress in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD), an age-related disorder and the leading cause of corneal endothelial degeneration with a higher incidence in women. Jurkunas lab employs a multidisciplinary approach that integrates molecular biology, genetics, in vivo imaging, disease modeling, and drug screening to understand how oxidant-antioxidant imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunction, accumulation of reactive estrogen metabolites, and aberrant DNA repair lead to corneal endothelial cell loss. The team is actively involved in the development of cell line- and animal-based disease models with a long-term goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets that can prevent disease progression and preserve vision.

Jurkunas Laboratory - at Harvard Medical School

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Jurkunas lab is recruiting a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to expand our work on several potential projects including: (1) role of mitochondrial estrogen metabolism and its impact on DNA repair and mitochondrial biogenesis in FECD; (2) Investigating metabolic and DNA damage pathways causing the female predominance of FECD; (3) Developing therapeutic interventions including small molecule drugs and gene therapy for FECD.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Culture corneal endothelial cell lines derived from normal and FECD patient tissues and develop project-specific cell-based assays.
• Employ genetically modified mouse lines to study the role of specific genes in FECD development.
• Collaborate with and mentor members of the multi-disciplinary team.
• Maintain accurate lab records and documentation.
• Contribute to publications and grant proposals.
• Stay current with scientific advances in the fields of oxidative stress and mitochondrial biology and apply emerging techniques and insights to their own research.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• PhD in Biology (prior experience in ocular research is not required)
• Expertise in immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy.
• Expertise in mammalian cell culture and in vitro transfections.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Evidence of consistent scientific innovation. Proven track record of publications in peer reviewed journals.
• Able to work independently as well as in a collaborative team environment.
• Excellent organizational and prioritization skills. Strong attention to detail
• Able to collect and analyze experimental data, prepare research publications, and communicate results

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Read, analyze, and summarize published literature.
• Design and execute experiments in vitro and in vivo, and ex vivo.
• Undertake relevant coursework if required by mentor.
• Attend relevant lab and departmental meetings.
• Meet regularly with mentor to review project progress and milestones.
• Plan and deliver a seminar on the project.
• Take on administrative (inventory, purchasing, etc.) responsibilities in the lab when necessary.
• Write a final report or submit a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal describing the project and results.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Lab setting.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Possible lifting of 10 to 20 lbs., depending on nature of chosen project(s).

TO APPLY

The applicant should submit CV, statement of research experience, statement of career goals as well as contact information for two references.

HIPAA Privacy Training and Sanctions

All employees who have access to health information whose confidentiality is protected by the HIPAA Privacy Rule are required by the Rule to receive training so that they have an understanding and knowledge of the Privacy Rule that corresponds to their job responsibilities and of the group health plan's policies and procedures that impact on their job duties. Training on the requirements of the HIPAA Privacy Rule and the plan's health information policies and procedures under the direction of the institution's privacy officer is a pre-requisite for this position.

Employees who violate the requirements of the HIPAA Privacy Rule will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination.

This description is intended to indicate essential tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required of positions that will be given this title. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of supervisors to assign, direct, or control the work of staff members under their supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned but that are of similar kind or level of difficulty.

EEO Statement

Massachusetts Eye and Ear is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment or discrimination. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, age, gender, gender identification, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, sex, pregnancy or conditions related to pregnancy, national origin/ancestry, citizenship, disability, military status, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by law. These protections extend to all management practices and decisions, including recruitment and hiring practices, appraisal systems, promotions, training, and career development programs