Jobs in Structural Biology and Related Fields

A postdoctoral position is available immediately in the Pazgier Laboratory at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) in Bethesda, MD. They are seeking a highly motivated and skilled postdoctoral fellow with expertise in both immunology and structural biology to participate in an interdisciplinary research program focused on structural immunology using X-Ray crystallography/Cryo-EM and Cryo-ET.

Research Focus

The successful candidate will contribute to ongoing projects aimed at elucidating Fc-effector mechanisms of the adaptive immune response (including IgG and IgA) to HIV-1 with the ultimate goal of identify effective strategies to preserve immune function and promote healthy aging. Projects will leverage high-resolution structural methods to dissect the interactions between antibodies, viral proteins, and Fc receptors, and will integrate structural data with functional immunological assays.

Required Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in immunology, structural biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in X-Ray-crystallography, Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) and/or Cryo-Electron Tomography (Cryo-ET) for structural determination.
• Solid understanding of human immune response, particularly B cell responses, antibodies, Fc receptors, and antigen-antibody interactions.
• Strong technical skills in molecular cloning, protein expression and purification, and molecular interaction analysis (e.g., SPR, BLI).
• A strong track record of peer-reviewed publications.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills (oral and written).
• A collaborative, team-oriented mindset and enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with hybrid approaches that integrate Cryo-EM/cryo-ET with X-ray crystallography, computational modeling
• Experience in antibody engineering or Fc-effector function assays (ADCC, ADCP).
• Familiarity with immune repertoire analysis, epitope mapping, or systems serology approaches.

Why Join Them?

USU is located directly across from the NIH campus in Bethesda, placing it in the heart of one of the most vibrant biomedical research communities in the world. Their lab benefits from access to outstanding core facilities, including those for Next-Generation Sequencing, Cryo-EM, Bioinformatics, and High-Performance Computing. USU offers a strongly collaborative environment, with weekly Immunology data clubs, journal clubs, and frequent research seminars featuring both local and international speakers.

They welcome applicants at all career stages who are excited to work in a multidisciplinary and translational environment.