Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Griffith University, Institute for Glycomics

Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Microbiology
University of Tasmania
School of Medicine
Medical Sciences precinct, Hobart
Reference Number: HAC 437/11
Closing date: Tuesday, 20 December 2011

Applications are invited for appointment to this position, which will be offered on a full-time, tenurable basis, commencing early 2012. The position will be offered within the range of Lecturer (Level B) or Senior Lecturer (Level C).

The School of Medicine has innovative education programs, including a new case-based integrated 5 year MBBS, the B. Biotechnology and Medical Research and undertakes extensive teaching in medical sciences for a range of other programs including Pharmacy, Paramedic Practice and Science. The primary campus for this position will be the Medical Sciences Precinct in Hobart.

The appointee will contribute to the teaching and learning programs in the School of Medicine with a particular role in teaching units in microbiology. A broad knowledge of microbiology will therefore be required with expertise in parasitology, infectious disease and anti-microbial strategies an advantage. The appointee will also be required to coordinate one or more units delivered by the School of Medicine.

Level B applicants must have a degree and post-graduate qualification in a relevant area of microbiology and relevant post-doctoral research and teaching experience, and a Level C appointee must additionally have demonstrated excellence in teaching and learning, or in research in microbiology or related areas.

The appointee will be expected to participate actively in curriculum development, quality assurance and the development of flexible teaching and learning and assessment. The appointee will also have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to research, and contribute to the supervision of Honours and postgraduate research projects. Expertise in an area compatible with the core interests of the School of Medicine would be desirable.

Women are particularly encouraged to apply as the University is seeking to increase the number of women in senior academic and administrative positions.

An appointment at Academic Level B will have a total remuneration of up to $107,211 (comprising salary within the range $77,715 - $91,633 plus 17% superannuation, with the option of an additional 3% salary loading in exchange for 14% instead of 17% superannuation).

An appointment at Academic Level C will have a total remuneration package of up to $126,599 (comprising salary within the range $94,430 - $108,204 plus 17% superannuation, with the option of an additional 3% salary loading in exchange for 14% instead of 17% superannuation).

For further information about the position please contact Professor Adrian West, email Adrian.West@utas.edu.au, or Professor John Burgess, email J.R.Burgess@utas.edu.au

Relocation assistance will be provided in accordance with the UTAS Relocation Policy and Procedures where the appointee currently resides elsewhere in Tasmania or interstate.

The following occupational health and safety risk factors have been identified for this position:

Keyboard/Mouse Work, Lifting, Driving, Sitting (including travelling between campuses) and/or standing for extended periods, Laboratory or Workshop activities, Use or care of experimental animals, Working under pressure, including working to constant deadlines and/or in the resolution of conflict.

All potential applicants should take these risk factors into consideration when determining their capacity to undertake the duties of the position.

You may submit your application by post or fax – address and fax numbers are provided on the Final checklist for Applicants in the Job application Package – alternatively you may email your application to Christene.Sytsma@utas.edu.au

PC3 Facility Coordinator / Microbiology Research & Development Facilitator

Canterbury Health Laboratories

Christchurch, New Zealand

Permanent, Full-time

Vacancy 11124. Closing 09/12/11

New Zealand’s only Physical Containment Level 3 (PC3) facility in a medical diagnostic laboratory requires an experienced Medical Laboratory Scientist who is passionate about biosafety and has a strong interest in quality assurance. In this role you will attract and liaise with potential users, complete training of both internal and external operators of the PC3 facility while coordinating and facilitating both local and international research opportunities within the Microbiology Cluster.

Previous laboratory management experience and excellent communication skills are vital in this role. Our PC3 facility requires a coordinator who is driven by the pursuit of knowledge and sharing this with clinicians and scientific colleagues. You will have the opportunity for collaboration and networking with clinicians and scientists both within New Zealand and overseas.

You will be registered with the Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand and have an extensive current knowledge of Microbiology (including Virology) and an understanding of biosafety requirements within a PC3 facility. You will work in a friendly and supportive team and will be assisted with your personal professional development goals.

The position description is available on www.careers.cdhb.govt.nz Please apply online or to discuss this role in more detail contact Sue Carnoutsos, Microbiology Acting Cluster Manager, phone +64 3 378 6284, email sue.carnoutsos@cdhb.govt.nz

PhD Candidature and Postdoctoral Research Fellow Positions

Reference No: HAN 417/11

Position: PhD Candidature and Postdoctoral Research Fellow Positions

Type: Academic

Location: Hobart

School/Section: Menzies Research Institute, Tasmania

Appointment: Fixed-Term

Availability: Internal & External

Closing Date: Monday, 19 December 2011

In 2011 a research collaboration at the University of Tasmania was awarded $2.5 million over 5 years as a National Health & Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence. Part of this award was to facilitate training of new researchers at post-graduate level. We are now looking for clinicians and scientists to join the Centre of Research Excellence for Chronic Respiratory Disease at PhD and Post-Doctoral Fellow level to further our research activities.

The activities of the group have six sub-themes:

1. Pathology – the mechanisms behind development of chronic airways disease, in particular chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPS).
2. Immunology – understanding host-environment interactions.
3. Physiology – the use of new methods for measurement of small airway function.
4. Operational – the assembly, through systematic reviews, and application of evidence to manage lung chronic disease, and development of self-management strategies for sufferers.
5. Epidemiology – understanding the history of airways disease and its impact on the health of the Australian population.
6. Microbiology – identifying the role of airway organisms in the progression of airway diseases.

For further information please contact either Professor Haydn Walters, Haydn.Walters@utas.edu.au or Professor Richard Wood-Baker Richard.WoodBaker@utas.edu.au, co-directors of the group.

When applying for the Postdoctoral positions please address the selection criteria in reference to your nominated theme.

The appointment will be negotiable depending on experience and qualifications and will be at Academic Level A or B with a total remuneration package of up to $86,572 per annum for Academic Level A (comprising salary within the range $69,154- $73,993, plus 17% superannuation with the option of an additional 3% salary loading in exchange for 14% instead of 17% superannuation) and $107,211 per annum for Academic Level B (comprising salary within the range $77,715- $91,633 plus 17% superannuation, with the option of an additional 3% salary loading in exchange for 14% instead of 17% superannuation).

The PhD candidate must hold a first class honors degree or equivalent and must provide copies of academic transcripts and a current CV. Please complete the application form from the link below. The PhD would be paid at the APA rate. http://www.utas.edu.au/research/graduate-research/future-candidates/how-to-apply

The following occupational health and safety risk factors have been identified for this position:

Keyboard/Mouse Work, Driving, Sitting (including travelling between campuses) and/or standing for extended periods, Laboratory or Workshop activities, Working under pressure, including working to constant deadlines and/or in the resolution of conflict

All potential applicants should take these risk factors into consideration when determining their capacity to undertake the duties of the position.

You may submit your application by post or fax – address and fax numbers are provided on the Final checklist for Applicants in the Job application Package – alternatively you may email your application to Nicole.Brown@utas.edu.au

THE UNIVERSITY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Access the 'Job Application Package' for this position.

Microbiology / Molecular Biology

The Australian Institute of Marine Science is the leading national organisation researching tropical marine ecosystems. The Institute has world-class laboratory facilities in Townsville Queensland, Perth Western Australia, and Darwin Northern Territory, two modern research vessels and extensive technical support. Facilities are being enhanced with $55M of capital funds from the Australian Government. This will include a state-of-the-art experimental ocean simulator in an extensive seawater precinct to support innovative research into coral spawning, water quality and climate change.

An opportunity has been created for a Technical Officer to provide high level assistance towards the Institute’s studies of marine pathogens within both natural systems and artificial systems such as aquaculture tanks and aquaria. This position actively supports the efforts of the research teams by providing high quality microbiology, molecular biology and bioinformatical analyses and database maintenance as well as assisting and training students at the Institute.

The successful candidate will possess tertiary qualifications in Microbiology or Molecular Biology with demonstrated knowledge of the requirements for working in molecular and PC2 laboratories. Experience with molecular techniques relevant to the field of microbial ecology is also essential. Applicants willing to undertake field work will be highly desirable.

Attractive working conditions apply including a remuneration package of $55,875 – $70,048 commencing salary plus up to 15.4% superannuation, learning and development opportunities, generous leave entitlements, 9 day fortnight, commuter car transportation to site and many other benefits. This opportunity will initially be offered for a fixed term period of three years.

Application information is available from www.aims.gov.au/employment. Position enquiries may be directed to Dr Lone Høj; l.hoj@aims.gov.au. The closing date for this opportunity is Monday 21 November 2011.

AIMS is an EEO Employer and promotes a smoke free work environment.

PhD (or Honours Project) for 2012:

A polyvalent group A streptococcal vaccine

Group A streptococcal (GAS) diseases account for half a million deaths each year. These deaths predominantly occur in developing countries, and Indigenous groups within developed nations. The Australian Indigenous population is particularly susceptible to streptococcal disease, with rates of disease far exceeding that of the Caucasian population. In this project we will evaluate the protective efficacy and characterise immune responses raised against a panel of novel recombinant fusion vaccines that target multiple conserved amino acid sequences in the Mprotein, a major virulence factor on the surface of GAS.

Aims

We have constructed four polyvalent vaccine candidates consisting of conserved amino acid

sequences from the C-repeat of the M-protein. Antibodies raised against these vaccines recognise multiple M-proteins and bind to the surface of heterologous GAS isolates.

The aim of this proposal is the comprehensive evaluation of these proteins as GAS vaccines. The specific aims are to:

AIM1 Characterise murine immune responses to each vaccine candidate.

AIM2 Quantify binding of vaccine antibodies on the surface of heterologous GAS strains of

different M-type.

AIM3 Evaluate the bactericidal activity and protective capacity of antibodies following

subcutaneous vaccination.

AIM4 Evaluate the mucosal immunogenicity and efficacy of vaccine candidates.

AIM5 Evaluate the immuno-safety of vaccine candidates.

AIM6 Characterise natural anti-vaccine antibodies present in human sera.

AIM7 Determine if vaccine antibodies inhibit M-protein/host protein interactions and prevent

binding of GAS to eukaryotic cells.

Significance and outcomes

Group A streptococcal disease remains a significant health issue in the Indigenous population of Australia, and other communities where GAS infection is endemic. A safe effective vaccine is the best strategy to reduce the impact of streptococcal disease. This proposal fulfils all criteria for a preclinical evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of a GAS vaccine.

Dr David McMillan, QIMR: David.McMillan@qimr.edu.au

A/Prof Louise Hafner, QUT: l.hafner@qut.edu.au