Founded in 1856, University of Maryland, College Park is the state’s flagship institution. Our 1,250-acre College Park campus is just minutes away from Washington, D.C., and the nexus of the nation’s legislative, executive, and judicial centers of power. This unique proximity to business and technology leaders, federal departments and agencies, and a myriad of research entities, embassies, think tanks, cultural centers, and non-profit organizations is simply unparalleled. Synergistic opportunities for our faculty and students abound and are virtually limitless in the nation’s capital and surrounding areas. The University is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding and diverse faculty and staff that will enhance our stature of preeminence in our three missions of teaching, scholarship, and full engagement in our community, the state of Maryland, and in the world.

Offers of employment are contingent on completion of a background check. Information reported by the background check will not automatically disqualify you from employment.

The Public Health AeroBiology Laboratory (PHAB Lab) in the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health within the University of Maryland School of Public Health is a leader in the field of respiratory virus transmission. We are seeking a highly motivated individual for the grant-funded position of Postdoctoral Fellow. This individual will join an interdisciplinary research team under Principal Investigator Donald K. Milton, MD, DrPH in collaboration with Margaret Scull, PhD in the Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics.

The fellow will contribute to the “Evaluating Modes of Influenza Transmission (EMIT-2) using Innovative Technologies and Designs in Controlled Environments’’ (a NIAID-funded cooperative agreement) and Campus and Dorm Cohort Study components of the CEIRR-funded Center for Research on Influenza Pathogenesis and Transmission (CRIPT). The fellow will have the opportunity to develop projects in their areas of special interest within the larger scope of the funded research. The PIs have a particular interest in developing studies of the role of vitamin D in SARS-CoV-2 and influenza transmission, including analysis of vitamin D in clinical samples, examining the innate immune response in mucosa, and in vitro analyses of the role of vitamin D in viral transmission in animal models. The fellow may also contribute to other studies of airborne transmission of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 as needed.

The ideal candidate will have experience with molecular biology and virology assays (e.g. qRT-PCR, viral titration, protein assays), cell culture maintenance, and clinical samples (e.g., blood/serum, nasal swab, saliva). Previous work with animal models of viral transmission is preferred.

This is a 12-month, grant-funded appointment with 2 years of funding available including competitive compensation and benefits.

Education:
PhD degree in virology, immunology, microbiology, or related fields

The University of Maryland, College Park, an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, creed, marital status, political affiliation, personal appearance, or on the basis of rights secured by the First Amendment, in all aspects of employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.