Postdoctoral Scholar - Sumner Lab

The UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) is a world-renowned center and a global leader in precision nutrition research. Our on-site facilities include multiple wet labs and clinical facilities as well as a vivarium and a metabolic chamber. Approximately two hours from UNC-Chapel Hill, the NRI is located on the beautiful North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) in Kannapolis, NC, a mid-size city with a small-town feel. The institute is within walking distance of the city center which includes shops, restaurants, a minor-league ballpark, theater, and music hall of fame. We are also a short drive to Charlotte and Winston-Salem/Greensboro. The NRI offers programs that support a healthy work/life balance. We also offer professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development, and lifelong learning.

Learning how people can eat uniquely!

The UNC Nutrition Research Institute ( NRI) is an internationally recognized center conducting innovative basic and translational science to establish how individual differences in nutrient requirements and responses to diet affect our nutritional needs. Our research contributes to the prevention and mitigation of chronic disease across the lifespan from periconception through aging.

Our Mission is to lead precision nutrition research through understanding how genetics and environment affect an individual's requirements for and responses to nutrients.

NRI principal investigators hold faculty appointments in the departments of Nutrition and Psychology at UNC Chapel Hill. Their research interrogates nutrient roles in disease prevention, disease risk factors, and the impact of gene-environment and gene-nutrient interactions.

The NRI promotes excellence in nutrition knowledge, teaching, and research. We seek and encourage a diversity of experiences and ideas and provide the tools and flexibility for all employees to achieve success and excellence within their chosen occupations and aspirations.

We are committed to open dialogue, careful listening, becoming educated about the systems that hinder or prevent success, and taking action to ensure that all are equally acknowledged for their contributions and equally reap the benefits of being part of our community.

Our Vision is to use scientific discovery to ensure optimal health through individualized nutrition.

Everyone who works at the NRI supports this hopeful vision. Working at the NRI means doing good for the world. Join us!

The NRI and this position are in Kannapolis, NC, in the Charlotte region.

Position Title: Postdoctoral Scholar

This is a six (6) month position with the possibly of extension, dependent upon availability of funds.

The Postdoctoral Scholar will work in the Sumner Lab in the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ( UNC), and in the Graves-Lab in the UNC Department of Pharmacology. The fellow will develop and apply novel kinase and protein enrichment methods using tissues and biological fluids. Methods will be optimized and validated to ensure reproducibility in the detection of protein kinases from patient samples. The postdoctoral fellow will lead projects to identify kinase dysregulation individuals (healthy, pre-disease, and disease) that will provide biomarkers of metabolic or nutritional changes and may point to kinase inhibitors as therapeutic interventions. Success in these projects will provide the candidate with opportunities to publish high-impact research, mentor trainees, and contribute to grant proposals.

This position offers an exciting chance to work at the intersection of pharmacology, nutrition, and metabolism.

NOTE: This position is co-located in Chapel Hill and in Kannapolis, NC, (appx. 2 hours from UNC's main campus.)

- PhD in Pharmacology, Cancer Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, or a related field.

- Hands-on experience with biochemical and molecular biology techniques (e.g., Western blotting, qPCR, immunoprecipitation, metabolite extractions).
- Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.

- Familiarity with cancer metabolism, kinases, and metabolic signaling pathways.
- Prior experience working with metabolic inhibitors, drug screening, or therapeutic response assays.
- Publications in cancer biology or related fields.

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.