Postdoctoral Scholar - Research Associate

USC

USC

Los Angeles, CA, USA · Los Angeles, CA, USA
USD 68,640-68,640 / year
Posted on Jun 4, 2025

The Cogan Laboratory at the University of Southern California (USC) Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to investigate the mechanisms of modular polyketide and nonribosomal peptide biosynthesis. The selected individual
will use biochemical and biophysical techniques, including single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), to understand the
relationships between megasynthase structure and catalysis. The work entails additional opportunities to explore (1) the enzymology of as-yet
undiscovered natural products and (2) mechanisms of bacterial signal transduction by sensor histidine kinases.

Available Instrumentation: USC maintains >90 research core facilities, including a recently established state-of-the-art Cryo-EM Facility at the
Core Center of Excellence in Nano Imaging (CNI). Cryo-EM resources include:

1. Thermo Scientific Titan Krios G3i equipped with a GIF Quantum energy filter and K3 detector
2. Thermo Scientific Glacios equipped with a Falcon 4 detector
3. Thermo Scientific Vitrobot in a humidity-controlled room
4. Essential tools for cryo-TEM grid preparation and storage

High-performance computing resources for cryo-EM data handling/processing (e.g., Relion and cryoSPARC) are provided by USC's Center
for Advanced Research Computing.

Qualifications: Candidates must hold a Ph.D. in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Structural Biology, Chemical Biology, Medicinal
Chemistry, or a related field. All qualified candidates will be considered, although preference will be given to those with experience in protein
purification, structural biology, and/or molecular biology.

Interested candidates should send their CV and a list of three references to Dillon Cogan at dcogan@usc.edu.
The annual salary for this position is $68,640. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers
factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key
skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational
considerations.

Qualifications: Candidates must hold a Ph.D. in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Structural Biology, Chemical Biology, Medicinal
Chemistry, or a related field. All qualified candidates will be considered, although preference will be given to those with experience in protein
purification, structural biology, and/or molecular biology.

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying.

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

If you are a current USC employee, please apply to this USC job posting in Workday by copying and pasting this link into your browser:

https://wd5.myworkday.com/usc/d/inst/1$9925/9925$129177.htmld