Posting Information
Posting Information
Department Thurston Arthritis Res Center - 429201 Career Area Research Professionals Application Deadline 07/25/2026 Position Type Temporary Staff (EHRA NF) Position Title Research Scientist Position Number 20077488 Vacancy ID N000881 Full-time/Part-time FTE 0.5 Hours Per Week 20 Position Location North Carolina, US Hiring Range Dependent on Experience / Qualifications Proposed Start Date 08/03/2026 Estimated Duration of Appointment 12 months
Position Information
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Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit
Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education and research.
Patient care: We promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.
Education: We prepare tomorrow`s healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce.
Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.
Position Summary
The Research Scientist is to perform research in an interdisciplinary lab interested in the role of different growth factors in post-traumatic osteoarthritis. The lab performs animal studies in osteoarthritis models to mimic cartilage, bone, synovium and muscle degeneration during disease progression. This role will include basic and translational scientific research centered on osteoarthritis. The role requires a deep knowledge of osteoarthritis pathology, with a particular focus on mechanisms of joint injury. The candidate will need to perform surgical models of post-traumatic osteoarthritis in rodents as well as ensure data collection, analysis and preparation of results for scientific presentations, manuscripts and grants as well as training of junior lab members. The candidate will be involved in developing, designing and independently performing cross-sectional studies involving joint tissue evaluation (bone, cartilage and synovium). The candidate will need to establish new research methods or improve the quality of existing methodologies, showing critical thinking, problem solutions and data elaboration. In cooperation with the PI, the candidate will lead the project and coordinate data collection and analysis. The candidate will also assist in manuscript and grant writing, contribute and co-author publications, present results to meetings and/or conferences. The candidate will collaborate with other personnel for potential options to improve the quality of the experimental work and/or design.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
Master's or Bachelor's and 0-2 years' experience; or will accept a combination of related education and experience in substitution.
Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience
Extensive experience in cartilage and bone biology, from cellular level to tissue homeostasis. Particular emphasis on chemokine pathways and inflammatory mechanisms in osteoarthritis. Experience in cell culture, tissue handling and histology. Experience in surgical techniques to induce osteoarthritis in rodents including intrarticular injections, intravenous injections, anesthesia and analgesia. Knowledge of imaging techniques.
Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience
Previous lab experience of more than 10 years, as well as experience with animal surgical models of osteoarthritis, imaging, tissue histology and microscopy.
Special Physical/Mental Requirements Campus Security Authority Responsibilities
Not Applicable.
Special Instructions Quick Link https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/322798
Contact Information
Office of Human Resources Contact Information
If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (919) 843-2300 or send an email to employment@unc.edu
Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
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