Postdoctoral Research Associate - DNA Replication and DNA Repair, Signal Transduction, Cancer

Position Summary:

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a collaborative, co-mentored research program between the Vaziri and Bowser laboratories. The successful candidate will investigate fundamental mechanisms of the DNA damage response (DDR), cell cycle regulation, and their implications for genome stability, cancer biology, and therapeutic response.

Recent related publications:

Nat Commun. 2025 Aug 5;16(1):7214 PMID: 40764480;

Cell Rep. 2025 Jan 28;44(1):115104. PMID: 39708320;

Nat Commun. 2024 Mar 4;15(1):1957 PMID: 38438348.

Professional Development Opportunities:

An Individual Development Plan (IDP) will be implemented to provide advanced training and mentorship that supports a broad range of career pathways both within and beyond academia. This particular position offers the unique benefit of dual academic mentorship, along with industry-relevant collaborations with the Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery (UNC) and the Metabolomics and Exposome Laboratory (UNC). These collaborations will provide the candidate with access to complementary expertise, resources, and scientific perspectives across multiple disciplines. Grant-writing, scientific communication training, as well as leadership and teaching opportunities will also be available.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Candidates should have recently earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, or a related field. A proven track record of productivity (at least one first-author publication in a peer-reviewed journal) is expected.

The successful candidate must demonstrate a strong work ethic, independence, motivation, the ability to multi-task, and willingness to work in a highly collaborative research environment. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.

Preference will be given to applicants with deep foundational knowledge and hands-on technical experience in at least one of the following fields: signal transduction, genome maintenance, DNA replication, DNA repair, cell cycle, cancer biology.

To Apply:

Please send a CV, research statement that describes past accomplishments, research interests and career goals (~ one page) and contact information for three referees, emailed as a single pdf directly to Cyrus Vaziri ( View email address on us.fitly.work ) or submit application materials as instructed on the following link:

Salary:

$65,000.00-$75,000.00 (commensurate with qualifications and experience) + benefits.

The salary for this position exceeds NIH guidelines, ensuring competitive compensation.

Closing:

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.