Career Center

Position Overview:

A postdoctoral position is available in the Department of Animal Science, with a focus on evaluating intra-articular therapeutics in horses. To answer key questions regarding enhanced performance longevity for young horses, this laboratory led by Dr. Jessica Leatherwood, studies differing conditioning methods on the joint health of young horses in training, and their eventual effect on joint health as an adult. The data generated contribute to less risk of musculoskeletal injury and the protection of competition integrity.  We seek a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher with a strong background in equine physiology and/or veterinary science and an interest to join a diverse team of investigators positioned across the United States.

This full-time position is on a renewable twelve-month contract with a maximum appointment of two years. This is a non-faculty research staff appointment.

Job Duties:

• Develops and implements animal experiments according to approved research protocols involving intra-articular therapeutics and orthobiologics.
• Performs various ELISA and multiplex immunoassay analyses related to markers of joint inflammation, pain, and cartilage metabolism in blood and synovial fluid.
• Performs histological evaluation of articular cartilage and associated structures.
• Conducts immunofluorescent histological analyses.
• Identifies specific proteins via Western blot analyses.
• Establishes and optimizes new protocols for protein and gene expression.
• Trains and mentors graduate and undergraduate students in the lab.
• Generates manuscripts, conference abstracts, and presentations.
• Collaborates with Dr. Leatherwood and a team of faculty in preparing grant proposals.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to communicate by clear, concise, accurate oral and written means of expression.
• Ability to independently assess and implement laboratory methods and interpret results.
• A successful record of authorship on peer-reviewed publications and presentations.
• Ability to be proactive, highly organized, and responsible with a strong work ethic.

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD in veterinary science, animal science, biological sciences, or closely related field.
• Candidates with a DVM and PhD are desired.
• Candidate must have fundamental knowledge of equine or animal models of study related to joint health, able to maintain a collaborative environment, and engage in taking on challenging projects beyond their area of expertise.
• Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English.
• Experience with statistical software and data analysis.

The successful candidate will have earned a Ph.D. or equivalent research doctorate at the time of appointment (i.e., start date) and will have received their doctoral degree no more than 4 years before the start of the financial support.

If the degree has not been conferred at the time the applicant applies for the postdoctoral scholar position, a letter needs to be attached from their school's official Graduate Office and/or Registrar's Office certifying that all requirements for the degree have been met and stating the degree conferral date.

The selected candidate for the position must be able to meet eligibility requirements for work in the United States at the time appointment is scheduled to begin and continue working legally for the proposed term of employment, be able to communicate effectively in English, and be trained in or able to obtain training in the responsible and ethical conduct of research.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A background in orthopedics or synovial joint biology is preferred.
• Experience with performing various ELISA tests, immunostaining, and Western blot analyses.

About Tarleton State University

Tarleton’s VisionTarleton State University will be the premier comprehensive regional university in the nation, dedicated to education, service and research. It is committed to being a university of opportunity for all students and believes it has a responsibility to drive regional innovation and job creation for all graduates.About Tarleton State UniversityTarleton’s innovative and transformative approach provides more than knowledge. Through real-world experiences and effective teaching, research, scholarship and service, students gain the know-how for promising careers, no matter their field of study.Tarleton has evolved into the near-perfect model of size, academic scope and affordability. Founded in 1899 and part of The Texas A&M University System since 1917, it combines the resources of a major public institution — more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, cutting-edge academic facilities, faculty experts — with its own brand of personal attention, history and community to be a first-choice destination for students across North Texas and beyond.Students can choose to study in one of seven colleges — Agricultural and Environmental, Business Administration, Educ...ation, Graduate Studies, Health Sciences and Human Services, Liberal and Fine Arts, and Science and Technology.The primary campus is in Stephenville, which consistently ranks as one of the best small towns in America. Additional locations are in Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian and Bryan, complemented by a fully online Global Campus.Students come to Tarleton from around the world, representing some 30 countries and nearly every state in the U.S., and leave as moral, ethical thinkers with civility and integrity who contribute meaningfully to a global society.Tarleton State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer. Students may select areas of study from six colleges: Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Graduate Studies, Health Sciences and Human Services, Liberal and Fine Arts, and Science and Technology.More than 60 bachelor's programs and 30 graduate degrees, featuring doctoral studies in educational leadership, have led more than 13,000 students from 45 states and more than 20 foreign countries to make Tarleton State their collective choice for a college education.Tarleton's research centers are daily searching for solutions to global problems. For instance, the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research conducts analyses to address environmental issues facing the state and nation, while the Southwest Regional Dairy Center, using an almost $1 million grant, is working on ways to turn animal waste into a viable energy source.Tarleton's blueprints for a brighter-than-ever future include a new applied sciences building with engineering laboratory space on campus in Stephenville, a new academic building on the university's planned 80-acre Fort Worth campus near Chisolm Trail Parkway, and $24 million in upgrades and improvements to the institution's venerable Memorial Stadium.Tarleton State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.

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