Postdoctoral fellows in Traumatic Brain Injury and Drug Development

Two postdoctoral fellow positions are available immediately in the lab of Dr. Kelly Standifer in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, OU College of Pharmacy at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) in Oklahoma City. Our lab studies the role of Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and traumatic stress using several rodent models of TBI and PTSD. We have a special interest in understanding how NOP receptors modulate pain, anxiety-like behaviors, cerebral blood flow, vestibulomotor function and cognition in male and female rats, and in testing and developing novel therapeutic agents to treat these disorders. We seek two motivated post-doctoral fellows with experience in pharmacology and neuroscience and a strong interest in preclinical drug development efforts. The ideal candidates will be excellent written and oral communicators and have hands-on experience in rodent behavioral assays and traumatic brain injury models. Fellows will have the opportunity to learn, design and perform pharmacokinetic in vivo studies, PET/CT imaging, qPCR, immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Successful candidates will be expected to work as part of team, perform research, write manuscripts, and present their findings at local and national meetings. The candidate also will assist in writing progress reports, grant proposals, and will be highly encouraged to submit fellowship applications (both intramural and extramural).

The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences offers a highly collaborative, training and research environment in drug discovery and development, neuroscience, pharmaceutics and drug delivery, immunology, chemistry and radiochemistry and nuclear imaging. OUHSC has a very dynamic, diverse and rapidly growing neuroscience community and is an excellent training environment for postdoctoral fellows and the Oklahoma City metro is a vibrant, affordable, and friendly place to live.

Information on being a postdoc at OUHSC in Oklahoma City can be found at https://graduate.ouhsc.edu/Postdoctoral-Fellows

Interested candidates should email their curriculum vitae, a letter of interest outlining experience and research goals, and the names and contact information of at least three references to Dr. Kelly Standifer at Kelly-standifer@ouhsc.edu

Required Qualifications

Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent terminal or doctoral degree.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in the biological sciences, or in related disciplines.
• Prior experience in working with rodents, and a broad understanding in neuroscience and brain injury, is strongly preferred.