Research Associate

The Research Associate is to perform research in an interdisciplinary lab interested in the role of different growth factors in post-traumatic osteoarthritis. The lab performs animal studies in osteoarthritis models to mimic cartilage, bone, synovium and muscle degeneration during disease progression. One of the long-term goals is to use in vivo measures of muscle strength and pain to understand how joint instability affects disease symptoms and muscle strength. In addition, the lab performs ex vivo studies on muscle and joint tissues, as well as histological evaluation of osteoarthritis progression. The ideal candidate will be involved in developing, designing and independently performing deep longitudinal muscle analyses and pain evaluation, as well as cross-sectional studies involving joint tissue evaluation (bone, cartilage and synovium) and muscle morphology (tibialis anterior and quadricep). The candidate will be also involved in designing and conducting in vitro experiments using isolated chondrocytes and fibroblasts from human tissues. The candidate will need to establish new research methods or improve the quality of existing methodologies, showing critical thinking, problem solutions and data elaboration. In cooperation with the PI, the candidate will lead the project and coordinate data collection and analysis. The candidate will also assist in manuscript and grant writing, contribute and co-author publications, present results to meetings and/or conferences. The candidate will collaborate with other personnel for potential options to improve the quality of the experimental work and/or design.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required (or foreign degree equivalent); for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity, will accept a relevant Bachelor’s degree (or foreign degree equivalent) and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution. May require terminal degree and licensure.
Required Qualifications, Competencies, and ExperienceExperience in animal handling. We require some experience with muscle measurement analysis, in particular, exposure to the use of the 3-in-1 whole Animal System (Aurora Scientific) and its software. Advanced degree (ex: Master’s or PhD) in a related field of study.
Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and ExperiencePreferred experience with histological techniques, use of some pain behavioral measure systems (such as von Frey and Incpacitance Meter), human tissue culture, qPCR, protein tissue extraction, western blotting and ELISA. Preferred experience with data collection, data management, and data analysis. Experience with organizational skills, strong written and verbal communication skills, and capacity for working independently and engaging in innovative problem-solving is preferred.
Special Physical/Mental Requirements
Campus Security Authority ResponsibilitiesNot Applicable.
Special Instructions
Quick LinkPosting Contact InformationDepartment Contact Name and Title Sarah Willis, HR Consultant
Department Contact Telephone or Email sarah_a_willis@med.unc.edu
Office of Human Resources Contact InformationIf you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (919) 843-2300 or send an email to
Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.
Equal Opportunity Employer StatementThe 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.

University of North Carolina