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 capsaicin spicy? How are nutrients and drugs taken up into cells, and how can we improve drug specificity and potency? How do fungi and bacteria transport polysaccharides across their membranes, and how can these mechanisms be targeted by drugs? To probe these questions the lab employs a diverse range of techniques, including cryo-electron microscopy (single-particle and cryo-ET), biochemistry, biophysics, electrophysiology, chemical biology, and computational (MD simulations, virtual screening, and AI) approaches.
Recent notable publications from the lab include:
- Ren et al., Nature, 2026
- Yin et al., Nat. Struct. & Mol. Biol.,2025
- Wright et al., Nat. Chem. Biol., 2024
- Suo et al., Nat. Struct. & Mol. Biol.,2023
- Wright, Fedor, et al., Nature, 2022
- Yin et al., Science, 2022
This position presents an exceptional opportunity for skilled structural biologists or biochemists or electrophysiologists 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 cryo-EM or membrane protein biochemistry or electrophysiology 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
