Postdoctoral Research Associate in Entomology and Plant Virology

About the role

The Postdoctoral Research Associate will lead independent research on plant virus–insect vector interactions, spanning molecular to ecological scales, under the supervision of Dr. Kiran Gadhave at the Crop Stress Lab.

Key responsibilities

• Design and conduct experiments on pathogen acquisition, establishment, and transmission by arthropod vectors in lab, greenhouse, and field settings.
• Apply molecular diagnostics (PCR, RT‑PCR, qPCR) and omics approaches to identify determinants of vector competence.
• Perform functional studies using RNA interference, virus‑induced gene silencing, transient expression, and protein‑protein interaction assays.
• Analyze high‑dimensional data with statistical and bioinformatic tools, maintain detailed research records, and prepare manuscripts and reports.

Required profile

• Ph.D. in Entomology, Plant Pathology, Virology, Molecular Biology or a related field.
• Demonstrated research experience with insect vector–plant pathogen systems and strong scientific publication record.
• Valid Texas driver’s license or ability to obtain one within 45 days.

Required skills

• Molecular biology techniques: nucleic‑acid extraction, PCR, RT‑PCR, qPCR, cloning, sequence analysis.
• Functional genomics: RNA interference, virus‑induced gene silencing, Agrobacterium‑mediated infiltration.
• Protein‑protein interaction assays (yeast two‑hybrid, co‑immunoprecipitation, pull‑down, BiFC).
• Omics data handling: transcriptomics, genomics, proteomics, small‑RNA analysis.
• Statistical analysis, data visualization, and bioinformatics.