Post-Doctorate Research Associate - Lipidomics and Biomarker Development

Overview

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget.  

Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus. 

The Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate (EBSD) leads critical research in four areas: Atmospheric, Climate & Earth Sciences, Biological Sciences, Environmental Molecular Sciences, and Global Change. Our vision is to develop a predictive understanding of biological and Earth systems in transition. We aim to understand energy and material flows within the integrated Earth system; to understand, predict, and control the response of biosystems to environmental and/or genomic changes; and to   Model the Earth system from the subsurface to the atmosphere.   

The Biological Sciences Division has 17 collaborative, interdisciplinary biology-based teams to tackle major challenges in ecosystem sustainability, bioenergy, human health, and national security. Teams use unique field sites, advanced instrumentation, and integrated computational approaches to explore molecular-scale processes. Strategic efforts focus on advancing molecular measurement capabilities, uncovering the structure and function of molecular dark matter, identifying control points in complex systems, and developing domain-aware AI to accelerate discovery and hypothesis-driven research. 

Responsibilities
 

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a world-class research institution powered by a highly educated, diverse workforce committed to collaboration and work–life balance. Every year, scores of dynamic, driven post-docs come to PNNL to work with world-renowned researchers on cutting edge science, innovations, and technologies.

The Translation Omics Group at PNNL is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join our multi-disciplinary team with a focus on mass spectrometry-based lipidomics analysis and LC-MS biomarker development related to type 1 diabetes. The postdoc will be working across multiple cutting-edge NIH-funded projects related to biomedical and clinical applications. The individual will develop and optimize targeted and untargeted LC-MS methods to advance lipidomics profiling capabilities, identify and validate candidate biomarkers, and contribute to type 1 diabetes research. The candidate will have the opportunity to receive technical training in the latest cutting-edge mass spectrometry applications available within PNNL. 

The selected candidate is expected to:

• Have strong expertise in mass spectrometry analytical approaches for omics and biological interpretation, 
• Develop and validate quantitative LC-MS assays for candidate biomarkers in complex biological matrices (e.g., plasma, serum), 
• Conduct independent research and work on team assignments, lead manuscripts and maintain a strong overall publication record in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, 
• Interact, communicate, and problem-solve with a diverse team of multi-disciplinary research staff across PNNL,
• Present research projects at national conferences, 
• Work safely and independently in a laboratory setting, and 
• Participate in the development of research proposals. An ideal candidate will also have experience in ion mobility spectrometry and bioinformatics pipelines.

This is a full-time, limited-term employment position. The duration of this appointment is two years, with the option of extending the appointment for up to three years. 

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:

• Candidates must have received a PhD within the past five years (60 months) or within the next 8 months from an accredited college or university.

Preferred Qualifications:

• The ideal candidate would have a Ph.D. degree in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, or closely related fields with strong biological knowledge of human metabolism.
• Experience with mass spectrometry.
• Experience with chromatography (LC-MS) and/or ion mobility spectrometry, and the ability to tackle large, complex omics datasets is desirable but not required.
• Additionally, the candidate should be safety-oriented, possess excellent communication skills (oral and written), be collaborative, and have a desire to learn and develop new concepts and research techniques. The ability to critically think, problem-solve, and execute routine research tasks independently is essential.