JOB DESCRIPTION 
Helps design and conduct research within a specified field while receiving advanced training from a designated Principal Investigator to enhance professional skills and research independence needed for pursuit of a career. The specific area of research in which the trainee is mentored is determined by the department and laboratory of the Postdoc. Designs and evaluates experiments. Develops new ideas that promote current research. Prepares and publishes scientific manuscripts under the direction of the Principal Investigator. May be responsible for operation of specific equipment. May teach techniques to others, train, and supervise research staff. Positions are temporary appointments as a research trainee. The initial appointment is for one year, renewal expected if progress is satisfactory and funds are available. Appointments cannot exceed five years.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: A doctoral degree or equivalent (Ph.D., M.D., ScD., D.V.M., DDS etc) in an appropriate field. Excellent scientific writing ability and strong oral communication skills. The ability to work effectively and collegially with colleagues. Additional qualifications as specified by the Principal Investigator.

Preferred Qualifications
A Ph.D. in human genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, or related field, and have research experience with cell culture, and common cellular and molecular genetic assays. The candidate should also have knowledge about basic bioinformatics and bio-statistics. The successful candidate will be expected to exhibit a strong work ethic, independent initiative, and the ability to designing novel functional assays using the organoid model, as well as work both independently and as part of a team on research projects.

Possessing the following attributes are preferred. 
-Extracellular matrix (ECM) biology and its biochemistry
-Molecular biology (single cell sequencing, FACS sorting) and advanced mammalian tissue culture
-Advanced microscopy such as confocal microscopy and super-resolution microscopy (STED, SIM,PALM)
-Knowledge of gene editing using CRISPR/CAS9.
-R programming and basic coding knowledge.

Additional Job Details
The Kugathasan lab is engaged in multi-disciplinary and multi-collaborative projects that seek to unravel the molecular mechanisms driving the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) across ethnicities and age groups. This is an excellent opportunity to be involved in cutting edge multi-omics research in the field of IBD. The candidate will interact closely with a multi-disciplinary team comprising of medical practitioners, computational biologists, geneticists and statisticians both at Emory and in the Center for Integrative Genomics at nearby Georgia Tech.

In this position the candidate is expected to lead ECM biology research related to IBD, with particular attention to cell culture and the development of functional genetic markers using human mini-gut modeling. The successful applicant will be expected to use enteroids and colonoids in various applications such as drug testing, regenerative medicine, gene editing using CRISPR/CAS9, and microbiome studies. The post-doctoral scholar will also be involved in design and execution of experimental epigenetic assays. He/she will participate in weekly lab meetings and joint monthly meetings with the Gibson group at Georgia Tech, and engage with other members of the national IBDconsortium.

This position involves functional assays performed on human cells, tissue, and blood. Although this position will not be working with animals, previous knowledge/experience is also a plus….