How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Summary

The Department of Cardiac Surgery is seeking a postdoctoral Research Fellow to join its Section of Clinical and Translational Research and support a new research project funded by the Michigan Medicine Aorta Program (MI-AORTA).

Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. This project is focused on identifying novel genome mutations associated with Human Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection. Through the execution of this project, the research team aims to characterize additional genetic triggers of TAAD and gain mechanistic insight into the molecular pathways underlying disease formation.

Mission Statement

Michigan Medicine improves the health of patients, populations and communities through excellence in education, patient care, community service, research and technology development, and through leadership activities in Michigan, nationally and internationally.  Our mission is guided by our Strategic Principles and has three critical components; patient care, education and research that together enhance our contribution to society.

Our Impact

The University of Michigan provides research and educational opportunities to over 45,000 students. The University of Michigan is ranked 1st overall in research volume among U.S. public universities and 1st overall in research dollars in 2020 for both the Departments of Anesthesiology and Surgery. Its Health System was ranked 11th in the most recent United States News and World Report Honor Roll. The University of Michigan's state-of-the-art facilities consist of over 1.6 million square feet of laboratory space, housing thousands of University of Michigan Medical School faculty, fellows, students, and staff.

Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan is consistently ranked as among the nation's top medical centers for patient care, safety, and research. The 884-bed medical center currently employs 2,700 faculty, cares for ~48,000 inpatients per year and provides approximately 2.3 million clinic visits and 54,000 surgeries per year. Data for research is extracted from our Electronic health record (EHR) data and numerous other data sources into our Research Data Warehouse (RDW), a secure and compliant research database. Within the RDW, data for over four million unique patients are stored, including >374 million lab results, >155 million diagnoses, >62 million procedures, >17 million medication orders and a repository for waveform data recorded by continuous physiologic monitors with operating rooms and intensive care units.

The Frankel Cardiovascular Center (FCVC) opened in 2007 and was ranked as #14 in Adult Cardiology & Heart Surgery Hospitals by US News & World Report in its most recent rankings. The FCVC helps lead the nation in all forms of research on the heart and blood vessels and the diseases that affect them. Millions of dollars in research funding support a wide variety of projects and programs that break new ground in basic understanding of the cardiovascular system and in the delivery of care to patients nationwide. The FCVC research teams are world leaders in their fields and work in four main areas:  basic and translational research, clinical research, health services and outcomes research, and multidisciplinary programs.

Responsibilities*

The selected candidate will be expected to design experiments in an independent fashion, analyze data, develop new research methodologies, and prepare research papers. While funding is currently available for the position, the candidate will be strongly encouraged to apply for additional funding after 1-2 years. To complete these responsibilities, the ideal candidate should have excellent verbal and written communication skills, attention to detail, and demonstrated computer efficiency. In addition, the candidate should have strong organizational skills, the ability to successfully manage competing priorities, the ability to anticipate needs and follow through on the completion of tasks, and the ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively in a team environment.

Required Qualifications*

• Doctoral degree is required for this position.
• Proficient in analyzing sequencing data, including whole genome sequencing data.
• Ability to assess the quality of the data, be familiar with variant calling pipelines, and have a good understanding of molecular biology.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to effectively interact with a diverse group of individuals.
• Strong organizational and planning skills with the ability to set priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and as part of high functioning team.
• Ability to think autonomously and escalate issues as needed.

Desired Qualifications*

• Additional expertise in vascular biology or stem cell biology is a plus, but not required.

Background Screening

Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background screenings. Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Report Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.