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Overview

The Kaplan Lab focuses on biomaterials derived from biopolymer engineering and on tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and cellular agriculture.  The lab utilizes fibrous proteins from nature (e.g., elastins, silks, collagens, resilins) and bioengineered variants to study structure-function from both fundamental and applied views. The lab has pioneered the study of silk protein-based biomaterials with the emergence of silk as a new option in the degradable polymer field with excellent biocompatibility, new fundamental understanding of control of water to regulate structure and properties, and new tissue-specific outcomes with silk as scaffolding in gel, fiber, film, sponge, and dense medical device formats. Recent efforts focus on dynamic protein-based biomaterials utilizing silk-elastin copolymers and on modulating crystallization related to sustained drug delivery.

What You'll Do

This is a grant funded position and is not eligible for severance pay.

The Kaplan Lab Research Associate will assist in bridging the research results from the team in the areas above, from biomaterials and device designs, to tissue engineered systems to cellular agriculture systems, toward translational goals.  Key will be to de-risk technologies and prioritize those that are ready for new ventures or start ups.  

Responsibilities include:

• Review of scientific status of the various research areas in the team, including assessments of needs from users compared to research outcomes – to identify gaps or next steps
• Organization of specific project plans for each of the key technologies – to guide next steps in terms of research questions, gaps in the results, grant opportunities and drafts, and transition steps to a start up venture. 
• Assist with data analysis, grants and manuscript writing, literature search, patent searches
• Prepare grants and next steps to segue research into start ups
• Coordinate with technology transfer office to make sure IP needs are covered with the work, reduce gaps, reduce risks
• Interface with investors to find funding for the start ups
• Attend scientific meetings and seminars, other duties as directed by the PI

What We're Looking For

Basic Requirements:

• Three years’ experience in postdoctoral research position in biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering or process engineering, or equivalent
• PhD, MD, DVM, DDS, DMD or equivalent doctoral degree with experience with in vitro and in vivo relating to biomaterials, device design and/or cell biology.
• Wet lab, biological, and academic laboratory experience
• Ability to work accurately, effectively, within a team and independently under pressure and to meet deadlines, and to manage work with minimal supervision
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; highly self-motivated
• Ability to multi-task and work on multiple projects simultaneously
• Demonstrated organizational skills and ability to pay close attention to detail
• Ability to plan and prioritize work while responding flexibly to rapidly changing priorities

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in translational research
• Experience in evaluating scientific and engineering projects to identify needs and opportunities
• Experience working on grants, project proposals and related technical documentation for funding support

Special Work Schedule Requirements:

• Some night and weekend commitments, including participation in the administrator-on-call rotation is required