Postdoctoral Position

A NIH-funded postdoctoral research position is open in the laboratory of Dr. Seok-Yong Lee at Duke University School of Medicine. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to explore the molecular-level mechanisms of the machinery that underpin membrane transport processes that are critical to human health.

The Lee Lab’s research is currently centered around three main areas of membrane transport: calcium permeation in somatosensation, drug/metabolite transport, and polysaccharide transport in microbial cell wall synthesis. The types of questions we ask are: what is the molecular basis of temperature and irritant sensing and why is mint cooling and wasabi spicy? How do fungi and bacteria construct their intricate cell walls, and how can these mechanisms be targeted by drugs? How are nutrients and drugs taken up into cells, and how can we improve drug specificity and potency? To probe these questions the lab employs a diverse range of techniques, including cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), biochemistry, biophysics, chemical biology, and computational approaches.

Recent notable publications from the lab include:

• Yin et al., Science, 2022
• Wright, Fedor, et al., Nature, 2022
• Ren et al., Nat. Struct. & Mol. Biol., 2022
• Kwon et al., Nat. Commun., 2022
• Kwon et al., Nat. Struct. & Mol. Biol., 2021

For more information, visit the Lee Lab website: https://sites.duke.edu/leelab/

This position presents an exceptional opportunity for skilled biochemists or structural biologists with an interest in connecting structural biology to membrane biology. Candidates will benefit from joining a diverse and highly collaborative research group with excellent training opportunities and research facilities. A strong background in either cryo-EM or membrane protein biochemistry is advantageous, but not mandatory.

To apply, please submit the following materials to seok-yong.lee@duke.edu:

• Curriculum vitae or resume including a list of publications and contact information for three references
• Statement of research interests

Durham, home to Duke University, is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States with lush countryside and driving distance to the Atlantic Ocean and Appalachian Mountains. For more information on the city, consult the recent U.S. News and World Report rating: https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/slideshows/25-best-places-to-live-in-the-us