Postdoctoral Research Associate - Microbiome

Job no: 526664
Position type: Staff Full Time
Benefit Status: Benefited-Union
Campus: UMass Lowell
Department: Public Health
Salary: Salary commensurate with experience and grade/range
Applications Open: Jun 10 2025
Applications Close: Open until filled

General Summary of Position:

The Palacios group at the University Massachusetts Lowell is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to focus on the role of the gut microbiome in relation to neurological disease in human epidemiological cohorts.

Our research group aims to study, understand the role of the gut microbiome in brain health. We focus on cognitive decline/Alzheimers disease as well as Parkinsons Disease and Depression. We maintain close collaborations with top local universities, including Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Tufts University and the UMass Medical School and the department of Veterans Affairs.

The postdoctoral fellow will work on NIH funded projects focused on the role of the gut microbiome in decline and Alzheimers disease. There is opportunity for collaboration with our collaborators at University of Massachusetts, Harvard School of Public Health, and the US Dept of Veterans Affairs.

More information about the Palacios group can be found at:

Minimum Qualifications (Required):

Education:

• Doctoral degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, computer science, bioinformatics, quantitative biology, or related field by the time of the appointment.

Skills:

Experience with the analysis of gut microbiome metagenomics data in the context of human epidemiological research

Experience and/or strong interest in neurodegenerative disease research

Experience proficiency with Linux/Unix command line and research environments

Very strong R programming skills

Basic familiarity with scientific software management and cloud computing environments

Excellence in research, communication and collaboration skills, as evidenced by publication record

Experience with collaborative interdisciplinary research

Ability to effectively communicate, both verbally and writing

Additional Considerations:

Experience with untargeted metabolomics data preferred

Working knowledge of Python preferred

A record of publication in peer reviewed journals

The position of Postdoctoral Research Associate will involve the ability to meet strict deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in analyses of untargeted metabolomics data

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Only current UML Employees within the Grants & Contracts (MTA/GRACE) bargaining unit will be considered during the first 10 business days of the posting. All other candidates will be considered after that period.

This is a Grants & Contracts (MTA/GRACE) bargaining unit position.

Initial review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. However, the position may close when an adequate number of qualified applications is received.

This position is contingent upon funding. The appointment is for one-year contingent upon productivity, successful performance and the availability of funding.

Please include a resume with your application. Names and contact information of three references will be required during the application process. Submission of a cover letter is optional.

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