Post-Doc Research Associate

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development.

Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence. Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country.

UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage, paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance. Chapel Hill regularly ranks as one of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, a reputation guided by the diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

The Department of Biology at UNC-Chapel Hill is dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of new and existing knowledge in the broad discipline of Biology by maintaining a high-quality faculty who integrate cutting-edge research and student-focused teaching.

We are one of the largest academic departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. We have over 3,450 majors and we enroll undergraduate students in over 7,870 seats in our classes each semester. Each fall or spring semester, we offer 52 classes (70 sections) and 13 lab courses (93 sections). Our average total annual expenditure exceeds $24 million, with nearly half of that coming from grant sponsored research. Our department has nearly $70 million in active grants to support our twin missions of research and teaching. Our large research base spans many areas of biology and supports several outstanding graduate programs. We consist of 48 tenure-track faculty, 11 teaching faculty, 5 research faculty, and numerous active adjunct and emeritus faculty who are engaged in basic and interdisciplinary research and teaching, both within the department and between other departments and schools at UNC.

We currently have 50 graduate students and 30 post-docs and employ approximately 85 additional graduate and undergraduate students from across the university to assist in our teaching and research missions. Further, we are supported by an administrative staff of 20, with an additional 20 staff directly supporting research.

The Lee Lab in the Department of Biology aims to define a role for nuclear glutathione signaling in plant development and regeneration. In the Arabidopsis root tip stem cells can be manually excised, which induces fate-specified cells to reprogram back to stem cells. I showed that nuclear glutathione coordinates cell cycle behavior after root tip injury, which in turn is necessary for efficient regeneration to occur. However, the molecular basis of glutathione-based cell cycle regulation is unknown.

Work in the lab addresses how glutathione is localized to the nucleus, and what glutathione interacts with in the nucleus to regulate cell cycle behavior. The lab will use tools we developed to conduct genome-wide screening of nuclear glutathione regulators. The lab will use proteomics, next generation sequencing, and scanning mutagenesis to identify nuclear glutathione interactors controlling cell cycle progression. These approaches will yield a comprehensive model for glutathione-based cell cycle regulation during regeneration and can be generalized to study other metabolites that regulate development.
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The Lee Lab in the Department of Biology at UNC Chapel Hill is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to advance our understanding of the connection between metabolites and development in plants. For plants to respond to stress, they must perceive environmental inputs and then convert that perception into a developmental output. A growing body of evidence suggests that metabolites may bridge the gap between stress perception and developmental output via 'moonlighting' functions outside of their role in metabolism. Recently, we showed that the metabolite GSH links injury response and cell cycle regulation during regeneration of the Arabidopsis root tip. Now, we aim to characterize the mechanism underlying GSH-based cell cycle control.

We will use techniques including ML-guided imaging cytometry, long-term time-lapse microscopy, and MS-based characterization of non-canonical PTMs to study how metabolites coordinate stress and development in plants. This position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to a cutting-edge project at a top ranked university in the thriving research triangle.

Position Overview:
Preferred starting time January-February 2026 (flexible).The postdoctoral researcher will investigate how the subcellular localization of the metabolite glutathione is regulated and contributes to cell cycle regulation in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Techniques planned:
* Imaging cytometry for quantitative analysis of subcellular metabolite localization.
* High-throughput CRISPR screening.
* Transcriptome data generation and analysis.
* Cloning and development of several constructs.
* Characterization of mutant and over-expression lines.
* Confocal, light sheet, and time lapse microscopy of root development and cell cycle regulation.

Joint Responsibilities:
* Postdoctoral fellowship writing to further fund the project eg: NIH F32.
* Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at national and international conferences.
* Mentor graduate and undergraduate students in the lab as needed.

Ph.D. in cellular, molecular, or plant biology, genetics or a related field.

* Experience in molecular biology, data analysis and bioinformatics tools.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

* Protein purification
* Absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy
* Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (sample prep, data analysis) including identification and characterization of redox-related PTMs
* CW- EPR Spectroscopy
* Yeast-two Hybrid
* SDS- PAGE, Western Blot
* Sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation
* Protoplast isolation, transfection
* Plant growth, genetics, and crossing (Arabidopsis thaliana, Zea mays, Amaranthus hybridus, Nicotiana tabacum) Coding (R, Python, Java)
* Structure visualization and scripting (Pymol)
* Confocal microscopy

Use of stairs and hazardous working conditions are both possible aspects of this position.

For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services click here

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the University's Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at (919) 962-9982 or send an email to opahr@unc.edu.

Please note: The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.