Holsworth Biomedical Research Initiative Postdoctoral Fellow

Work type:Fixed Term

• Full time – 2 positions
• Fixed term – 1 year
• Bendigo Campus
• Be part of a passionate and innovative team

About the position

We are seeking two motivated postdoctoral researchers to join the Single Molecule Biology lab headed by Dr Donna Whelan. The successful candidates will drive an interdisciplinary project focussed on single molecule super-resolution microscopy of DNA double strand break induction and repair pathways. The lab has made significant advances on this and related projects to date, and there will be numerous opportunities for high quality publications and conference presentations for two talented postdoctoral scientists driving this research forward.

The successful candidates will have experience applying advanced fluorescence microscopies, ideally single molecule localization-based techniques, and some experience with molecular biology lab skills. The candidates could come from any scientific background (chemistry, molecular biology, physics, genetics, etc.) but essentially must have a demonstrable track-record of innovative interdisciplinary research beyond their core expertise. Expertise in genomic integrity research, CRISPR-Cas editing, and/or next generation sequencing would also be highly advantageous.

Specific duties/accountabilities for this position

• Design and conduct interdisciplinary experiments drawing on and developing expertise in cell/molecular biology, physics, chemistry, and engineering.
• A willingness to learn new discipline areas independently.
• Handling and maintenance of immortalized cell cultures in a PC2 lab.
• Training and assistance of undergraduate and honours students.
• Literature review and hypothesis development.
• Sourcing and ordering of consumables and lab equipment.

Skills and Experience

To be considered for this position, you will have:

• Level B - Completion of a PhD or equivalent qualifications or research experience.

Or

• Level A - Completion of a bachelor’s degree in the relevant discipline, and evidence of participation in higher level study relevant to discipline or professional area.

• Interdisciplinary experimental design combining cell/molecular biology with engineering/physics technologies.
• Experience in microscope maintenance and development.
• Advanced fluorescence microscopy data acquisition, processing and presentation, including use of relevant software and coding languages (i.e. Fiji/ImageJ, Illustrator/Photoshop, MATLAB/Python/R, or similar).
• Molecular biology skills including cloning, cell culture, Western blotting, fixation and fluorescent labelling.
• Efficiency in accessing and evaluating scientific literature.
• Efficiency in using software such as, or similar to, Endnote, Origin Pro, Prism, Illustrator, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

Please refer to the Position Description for other duties, skills and experience required for this position.

Welcome Video - Victorian Regional campuses – See link below;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-NZBy693Go

Benefits:

• 17% employer contributed superannuation
• Flexible work arrangements
• Discounts for staff and their family members to study a range of La Trobe courses

How to apply

Closing date: By 11:55pm, Sunday 12th January 2025

Position Enquiries: Donna Whelan, Senior Lecturer Rural Clinical Sciences Bendigo

via email D.Whelan@latrobe.edu.au

Recruitment Enquiries: Lisa White, Talent Acquisition Consultant,

via email Lisa.White@latrobe.edu.au

Position Descriptions below:

Only candidates with Full Working Rights in Australia may apply for this position.

Please submit an online application ONLY and include the following documents:

• Cover letter,
• An up-to-date resume and;
• A separate document addressing each bullet point under the “Generic Essential Skills and knowledge required for the position”, which is found in the position description.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We welcome and strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

La Trobe University is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. We take an intersectional approach by actively supporting and encouraging people of all backgrounds and abilities to submit an application and aim to ensure that the recruitment and employee experience is as accessible and inclusive as possible. Flexibility in interview format will be offered to shortlisted candidates.

All La Trobe University employees are bound by the Working with Children Act 2005. If you are successful, you will be required to hold a valid Victorian Employee Working with Children Check prior to commencement.