Neima Briggs, MD, PhD is seeking a Postgraduate Research Associate for a full-time, paid training position in his research group, currently situated within the laboratory of Dr. Joseph Craft, MD, Professor of Immunobiology and Rheumatology. Dr. Briggs is an Infectious Diseases physician and scientist between the Departments of Internal Medicine and Immunobiology at the Yale School of Medicine. His lab studies the host immune response to parasites, primarily helminths, with a heavy emphasis on vaccine and diagnostic development in animal models. We work closely with Texas Children’s Hospital’s Center for Vaccine Development who provide many of the vaccines that we trial in our animal models and human samples. We have active human research in Honduras and will be starting a field site in Brazil in collaboration with the Federal University of Belo Horizonte.
Training:
As a Postgraduate Associate, the candidate will perform basic science and/or translational research related to two ongoing projects: 1) characterizing immune response in mouse models of hookworm infection and immunization and 2) development of cellular and serological assays for human helminth infections (hookworm, whipworm, roundworm, etc.). The projects will train you in a broad array of advanced lab skills, such as:
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The candidate will assist with data analysis, interpretation, and generation of figure-quality data for publication and/or presentations; attend conferences where they can network and/or present research data; attend weekly infectious diseases and immunology seminars as well as weekly lab meetings; assist with writing scientific papers, case reports, and reviews, if of interest. Candidates must be comfortable working with parasites and mouse models, including the performing university sanctioned procedures and post-mortem analysis. Additionally, you will be expected to assist in the collection, processing, and analysis of human samples. All training for this work will be provided but any prior experience is important to point out in your application.
While the main work at Yale will be within the lab and animal focused, if interested and time permits, we can try to add on a field experience with me to work with parasitic endemic regions of Brazil. Additionally, for those interested in clinical shadowing experiences, we can arrange opportunities with Dr. Briggs.
Mentoring:
The Postgraduate Associate will work closely with Dr. Briggs and will also regularly receive feedback directly from Dr. Craft and other members of the Craft laboratory. Stationed within the Craft lab and several highly collaborative neighboring labs, you will learn from many colleagues within the Immunobiology Department. The candidate will have opportunities to present their data at intramural and/or national/international conferences, should this be of interest. The overall goal is to gain experience in designing and performing scientific work that can be used as a foundation for a future career in science and/or medicine. In addition, the candidate will be given career development opportunities (e.g. scientific writing and public speaking skills) that are individually tailored to their long-term career goals. The ultimate goal is to create an experience that is rewarding and engaging for the successful applicant and to foster scientific, professional, and/or educational advancement. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Briggs will provide additional mentorship and assistance towards a career in science and medicine.
Education:
The ideal candidate has a master’s and/or bachelor’s degree in natural sciences, ideally in biology or chemistry. Those who have completed their requirements for their doctoral degree but have not defended can also be considered and discussed for an ultimate pathway to a postdoctoral position. Trainees are expected to join the lab for a minimum duration of 1 year, but a 2-year commitment is preferred. Prior laboratory-based experience is preferred but exceptions will be considered for highly motivated individuals. Any experience with working with rodents/animal models, parasites, immunological techniques (ELISA, Flow Cytometry, Luminex and ELISpot) and scientific writing/statistical analysis is important to highlight on your application.
Candidates should be highly organized, self-motivated and reliable, with good interpersonal and communication skills. We strive to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and we place an emphasis on career development, scientific communication, and collaboration.
Application Process:
Interested candidates should email their CV and an email or cover letter briefly describing their career goals and their reelvant research/scientific background to neima.briggs@yale.edu with the subject line “Postgrad Position in the Briggs Lab.” If selected for an interview, please be prepared to provide at least 2 letters of reference with the expectation that they will be contacted by Dr. Briggs.
Start date: July/August 2024 with some flexibility. Standard postgraduate compensation: $38,400/year. As Yale employees, you are eligible for full benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, Life, FSA, Long Term Disability, and Retirement Savings Plan (https://postdocs.yale.edu/current-postgrads/benefits-and-paid-time).
Life at Yale:
New Haven, Connecticut is a vibrant college town along the Atlantic shores of the Long Island Sound. There is a strong community of postgraduates at Yale with numerous career development opportunities and extracurricular outings (https://postgrads.yale.edu/). There are numerous activities to do in your free time (https://www.yale.edu/life-yale), such as outdoor parks and trails (East Rock is favorite), university intramural sports leagues, music/theater venues (College Street Hall, Westville Music Bowl, Shubert Theater, Yale Repertory Theater), Yale museums (Peabody, University Art Gallary, Beinecke Rare Books) and great food scene (such as New Haven “apizza”). You near many of best features of the Northeast and New England, with direct connections by train to Providence (1hr), New York City (2hr) and Boston (2hr). By car, you can reach the beautiful beaches Rhode Island (less than an hour), Vermont (2hr), New Hampshire (3hr) and Maine (such as Acadia National Park, 5hr), making weekend escapes easy. While public transportation is excellent, and many destinations can be reached by train or bus (include a robust local Yale shuttle), a personal vehicle is nice to have and storage in New Haven is relatively inexpensive and parking facilities are available proximal to the laboratory. If you are moving with a partner, I can provide contact information with our human resources to help them with job placement. As New York City is quite close, many people live between Yale and NYC with couples splitting the commute by train (or car).
