Postdoctoral position available in the Sharma laboratory at the Center for Retrovirus Research and the Infectious Diseases Institute at the Ohio State University (Columbus, OH).

We are looking for independent and highly motivated candidate to join our active and vibrant laboratory. The primary research focus of our laboratory is to study the host innate immune response as a barrier to cross-species retrovirus transmission in the non-human primates. We employ cutting-edge and novel, innovative approaches to study the replication of chimeric SIV/HIV viruses (SHIVs) in the macaque model of HIV-1 infection. Our laboratory is tackling a fundamental weakness in the HIV-1/AIDS field that affects all downstream aspects of HIV-1 pathogenesis, vaccine, and prevention research by developing more relevant SHIV/macaque models of HIV-1 infection.

The fully-funded project available for the postdoctoral fellow is to characterize the viral and host factors that drive selection, adaptation, and pathogenicity of HIV-1 and SHIVs (Sharma et al, PLOS Pathogens 2019, Vilmen et al, mBio 2022). The project will also focus on uncovering the molecular and mechanistic basis of adaptation of SHIVs to the macaque innate and adaptive immune responses (Sharma et al, J Med Primatol., 2015, Boyd et al, PLOS Pathogens 2016). This research project is highly interdisciplinary and built on the conceptual and technical skills from multiple unique fields of research – it combines expertise in HIV-1 transmission biology, translational immunology, and epidemiology with basic training in HIV-1 molecular virology, host cell biology and characterization of viral-host interactions.

This position also offers excellent opportunities for candidates who are looking to expand their skills in order to develop their independent research careers. The trainees in our laboratory have access to faculty, students, collaborative teams, seminar series, and shared resources across two departments in two colleges (College of Medicine and College of Veterinary Medicine), the Center for Retrovirus Research, and the Infectious Diseases Institute.

Qualifications:

• PhD with a broad background in virology and biochemistry.

• Past experience in HIV field strongly preferred.

• Strong publication record.

• Excellent writing, communication, and organizational skills.

• Candidates with experience in protein purification and biochemical/biophysical characterization of Envelope glycoproteins and membranes are encouraged to apply.

Application: Interested candidates should email the following documents as a single PDF file to Dr. Amit Sharma: sharma.157@osu.edu

1. A cover letter summarizing their research interests, past research experience, and future career goals.

2. CV (or NIH-style biosketch) including a list of publications.

3. Contact information for three references.