ANNOUNCEMENT OF
Professional Vacancy
UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY, STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
1400 WASHINGTON AVENUE, ALBANY, NEW YORK 12222

Applications are invited for consideration for appointment for the following position:

Budget Title:	Postdoctoral Associate		Descriptive Title:		Postdoctoral Associate
Department:	Biological Sciences		Item Number:		To be determined
Professional Rank and Salary Range:	SL-1		Date to be filled:		May 1, 2008
Brief description of duties:
Post-Doctoral Associate: Pathogen/host interaction, Ecological Immunology Seeking a post-doctoral associate to work in Dr. Kurt McKean's lab. Highly motivated individuals interested in the evolutionary ecology of immune function and pathogen/host interactions are encouraged to apply. Experimental and genetic/genomic approaches are used in my lab to understand factors contributing to the evolutionary maintenance of disease susceptibility in Drosophila populations. Current projects include examining the causes and consequences of ‘costs’ of immunity, the evolution of cooperative virulence mechanisms, characterization and evolution of natural pathogens of Drosophila, and the evolution of sexual conflict, sex-biased gene expression, and implications for immune function. (See: http://www.albany.edu/faculty/kmckean/Site/McKean_Lab_Home.html) In addition, the post-doc will have the opportunity to interact with participating faculty, post-docs and students in the new Ecology and Evolution of Disease (EED) initiative at UAlbany. The EED is an interdisciplinary program with faculty from the Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Anthropology, as well as researchers from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Wadsworth School of Public Health. The EED program has sponsored seminar series, various journal clubs and discussion groups, as well as a formative curriculum relevant to this interesting and rapidly growing field of research. Information on this program and other participating faculty can be found here: http://www.albany.edu/biology/EED/index.html. UAlbany is located in Albany, the capitol of the State of New York. Centrally located between the Catskill and the Adirondack parks, the region provides abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation, and is also close to the metropolitan centers of New York City, Boston and Montreal.
Qualifications:
The candidate should hold a Ph.D. and possess a working familiarity with population genetics, evolutionary ecology and basic molecular biology (PCR, cloning, sequencing, SNP identification, RNA extraction and expression analysis). Degree must be accredited by a US Department of Education or internationally recognized accrediting organization. Experience with Drosophila will be looked upon favorably, but is certainly not necessary. The successful candidate will be encouraged to pursue his/her own ideas and projects.
Special Notes:
The initial appointment will be for one year with the possibility of renewal for another year. Salary and benefits are competitive. Interested applicants should send a cover letter detailing their experience and interests, CV and contact information for 3 references to Dr. Kurt McKean (kmckean@albany.edu). Applicants must address in their applications their abilities to work with and instruct a culturally diverse population.
Persons interested in the above position should submit a resume along with a letter of application, referencing P08 # below to:		Name and Address:		Dr. Kurt McKean Department of Biological Sciences University at Albany 1400 Washington Avenue, BI-329 Albany, NY 12222 kmckean@albany.edu
P08-14321 Item No: TBD		Closing date for the receipt of applications:		Initial review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

THE UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY IS AN EO/AA/IRCA/ADA EMPLOYER