Jobs in Structural Biology and Related Fields

Postdoctoral Position in Membrane Transport Systems at Duke University School of Medicine

Application deadline: 30 Jun 2026

An NIH-funded postdoctoral research position is open in the laboratory of Dr. Seok-Yong Lee at Duke University School of Medicine. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to explore the molecular machinery underpinning membrane transport processes critical to human health.

Research Focus

The Lee Lab’s research is currently centered around three main areas of membrane transport: calcium permeation in somatosensation, drug/metabolite transport, and polysaccharide transport in microbial cell wall synthesis. We seek to answer fundamental questions, including:

• Sensory Ion Channel Biology: What is the molecular basis of temperature and irritant sensing, and how can these mechanisms be exploited for novel pain medicine development?
• Transporter Pharmacology: How are nutrients and drugs taken up into cells, and how can we improve drug specificity and potency?
• Microbial Polysaccharide Transport: How do fungi and bacteria transport polysaccharides across their membranes, and how can these mechanisms be targeted by drugs?

To probe these questions, the lab employs a diverse range of techniques, including cryo-electron microscopy (single-particle and cryo-ET), biochemistry, biophysics, electrophysiology, chemical biology, and computational approaches (MD simulations, virtual screening, and AI).

Candidate Profile & Environment

This position presents an exceptional opportunity for skilled structural biologists and biochemists interested in connecting structural biology to membrane biology. Candidates will join a diverse and highly collaborative research group with access to state-of-the-art research facilities at Duke. A strong background in cryo-EM and membrane protein biochemistry/biophysics is advantageous, but not mandatory.

To Apply: Please submit the following materials to seok-yong.lee@duke.edu:

1. Curriculum Vitae (including a list of publications and contact information for three references).
2. Statement of Research Interests.

For more information, please visit: https://sites.duke.edu/leelab/