Entry Scientist- Petrucceli Lab

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The University of Miami/UHealth Office of the Dean has an exciting opportunity for a Full Time Entry Scientist to work at the UHealth campus in Miami, Fl.

CORE JOB SUMMARY
The Entry Scientist, SOM supports assigned research activities for the department. The appointee also furthers the University’s research goals and objectives and advances the University’s reputation as a leader in the field.

CORE JOB FUNCTIONS
1. Recruits and maintains patients in clinical research protocols.
2. Provides and follows best practices in clinical and translational research performance.
3. Processes and analyzes results and data.
4. Communicates results to the scientific community via published papers and agency reports.
5. Presents ongoing work and findings to colleagues at academic conferences, summarizing the nature of the research, methodology, and results.
6. Stays abreast of the work of other scientists within the department and scientific community.
7. Attends conferences and reads relevant journals.
8. Adheres to University and unit-level policies and procedures and safeguards University assets.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities as necessary.

CORE QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
Doctorate degree - Philosophy  (PhD) required

Experience:
No previous experience required

Certification and Licensing:
Refer to department description for applicable certification requirements

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Learning Agility: Ability to learn new procedures, technologies, and protocols, and adapt to changing priorities and work demands.
• Teamwork: Ability to work collaboratively with others and contribute to a team environment.
• Technical Proficiency: Skilled in using office software, technology, and relevant computer applications.
• Communication: Strong and clear written and verbal communication skills for interacting with colleagues and stakeholders.

This is a core job profile description and is not reflective of all duties that may be assigned to a specific position in each individual department. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and primary responsibilities of this core job profile. Specific duties and tasks may vary based upon departmental needs. Other duties may be assigned to the above consistent with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the job.

Neurovascular & Neurodegeneration Research

• Design, conduct, and analyze experiments investigating neurovascular mechanisms in ALS, FTD, and Alzheimer’s disease, with a focus on endothelial dysfunction, blood-brain barrier (BBB) biology, and RNA-binding protein (TDP-43) pathology.
• Develop and utilize animal models (e.g., knock-in mouse, endothelial-specific deletion) and human tissue analyses (e.g., inCITE-seq) to study disease mechanisms and validate translational relevance.
• Integrate molecular, cellular, and systems-level approaches to uncover causal pathways and therapeutic targets in neurodegeneration.

Experimental Model Development & Data Analysis

• Apply advanced molecular biology, epigenetics, and RNA regulation techniques to dissect disease mechanisms.
• Conduct cross-species validation and mechanistic studies using transcriptomics, proteomics, and imaging.
• Analyze and interpret complex datasets, ensuring rigorous experimental design and reproducibility.

Grant Writing, Manuscript Preparation & Scientific Communication

• Draft, edit, and submit scientific research grants, progress reports, and manuscripts for high-impact journals (e.g., Science Advances, Nature Neuroscience).
• Present findings at international conferences (e.g., Cold Spring Harbor, Gordon Research, NAVBO) and invited talks at leading institutions.
• Author reviews, book chapters, and abstracts; communicate research to both academic and public audiences.

Collaboration, Mentorship & Leadership

• Collaborate with principal investigators, research scientists, and external partners on multi-institutional projects.
• Mentor undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in experimental design, molecular methodology, and data interpretation.
• Serve as a peer reviewer for high-impact journals and as a judge for scientific presentations.

Translational & Public Health Impact

• Advance early vascular diagnostics and therapeutic innovation for neurodegenerative diseases.
• Translate mechanistic discoveries into actionable strategies for BBB stabilization and neuroprotection.

Department Specific Qualifications                                                                                     

Education:

• Ph.D. in Biotechnology, Biological Science, or related field. [Ashok Cheemala | PDF]

Experience:

• Demonstrated research experience in neurovascular biology, neurodegeneration, molecular oncology, and translational neuroscience.
• Experience in experimental model development, grant writing, manuscript preparation, and collaborative scientific projects.
• Recognized for field-defining discoveries, international presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.

Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes:

• Advanced proficiency in experimental design, molecular and cellular techniques, and data analysis.
• Expertise in neurovascular research, blood-brain barrier biology, and RNA regulation.
• Strong problem-solving abilities and sound judgment in critical decision-making.
• Commitment to mentorship, training, and professional development.
• Skilled in laboratory management, compliance, and technical troubleshooting.
• Recognized leadership, editorial service, and public communication in biomedical science.

The University of Miami offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, tuition remission and more.

UHealth-University of Miami Health System, South Florida's only university-based health system, provides leading-edge patient care powered by the ground breaking research and medical education at the Miller School of Medicine. As an academic medical center, we are proud to serve South Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean. Our physicians represent more than 100 specialties and sub-specialties, and have more than one million patient encounters each year. Our tradition of excellence has earned worldwide recognition for outstanding teaching, research and patient care. We're the challenge you've been looking for.

The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law.

Job Status:

Full time

Employee Type:

Staff