Job summary

Reports to Principal Investigator. We are seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented research scientist for a Postdoctoral Fellowship at CIDRZ. The successful candidate will work under the guidance of the Principal Investigator and closely with the study coordinator to conduct laboratory experiments, analyze data, and contribute to manuscript preparation. The research will focus on the HLA and HPV projects, investigating host immune and viral factors that influence the clearance of high-risk HPV. This role requires hands-on laboratory work, data interpretation, and active contributions to scientific publications.

The fellow will be attached to three projects

1. CTL specificities and HLA alleles associated with durable control of HIV
2. Tissue immune analysis of high-risk Human Papillomavirus (hrHPV) clearance in Zambia
3. HIV reservoirs in tissues

Main duties

• Designs and develops lab standard operation procedures
• Performs lab experiments
• Trains junior lab members and interns.
• Maintains lab inventory including reagents and sample storage, retrieval and shipment.
• Participates in weekly lab meetings with Professor Ndhlovu’s lab at AHRI.
• Participates in activities designed to develop collaborative research with research colleagues and support staff internally
• Analyzes data and prepares manuscripts for publication.
• Prepares progresses reports for the funder.
• Presents research findings at international and local scientific conferences/meetings /workshops

Specific deliverables are as follows and are due by the end of the contract:

• Complete the laboratory assays for the projects assigned to Fellow,
• To contribute significantly to the writing of a complete first draft of a manuscripts from these projects

Qualifications:

• PhD in biomedical sciences, Immunology, Molecular and Cell biology and relates field
• MSc with desired skills in Immunology or related field may be considered.
• Ability to write scientific manuscripts and grant writing skills

Proficiency in the following lab skills:

• Flowcytometry
• ELISPOT assays
• ELISA assays
• Tissue Culture
• Molecular assays (qPCR singlet and Multiplex

Suitably qualified candidates are invited to apply. However, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.