Opportunities

My lab is organized to maximize your involvement with mentoring at all levels. While I directly mentor all of my lab members, each student also has a more senior lab member mentoring them directly, and is encouraged to provide such mentoring to a junior lab member once they have become established. I encourage these mentoring relationships as well as peer-to-peer mentoring and team work in weekly mini-group meetings, where lab members share their latest results, interpretations, obstacles and plans.

My goal is that each person obtain rigorous training early so that I can trust that they are doing good work, but then to encourage increasing independence, especially for senior members. I always want to hear about your results and plans, but as you progress through your training, I will be doing less instructing and more listening and providing ideas for you to evaluate and then take or leave.

I also meet annually with all lab members for an individual development plan meeting, in which we discuss your short-term and long-term career goals, what you need to do to meet these goals, and what I can do to help you. These meetings use a worksheet such as an individual development plan to help us address important issues.

If you are interested in joining the Thomas lab, email Wendy Thomas to explain what type of position you would like in the lab, how your background supports your interest in this particular lab and/or project, and include your resume or CV. Also include other information specific to that position, as described below. If your interests match our opportunities, we will schedule you for an interview with Wendy and/or a lab mentor.

To work in the Thomas lab as an undergraduate student, you need to enroll in an undergraduate research course (such as a senior capstone or thesis or Bioen 499) OR have an award that pays you to do research (such as a work study award or an undergraduate research award), because we cannot take volunteers. We also need to have a mentor available on a project that matches your skills, interests, and availability. In addition to proving the information we request of all potential trainees, tell us which mechanisms you might use to join the lab and how much time you hope to devote to research (hours/week, # of quarters).

To work in the Thomas lab as a graduate student, you need to be enrolled in one of the following programs: Bioengineering, Biological Physics, Structure and Design, Mechanical Engineering, Molecular Engineering, or Molecular & Cellular Biology. In addition to proving the information we request of all potential trainees, tell us which program you are in or which you are considering applying to, and ask about funding.

Brief Job description: The postdoctoral scholar would research the biomechanics of host-pathogen interactions underlying infectious endocarditis.  Oral streptococci are a major cause of infective endocarditis (IE), a life-threatening infection of heart valves. The postdoc would lead an investigation of bacteria-blood cell interactions using flow cytometry, imaging flow cytometry and gene expression analysis with nanostring nCounter®. The postdoc would also collaborate with investigators performing microfluidics to characterize streptococci-platelet adhesion and the impact of streptococci on various platelet functions, and would have the opportunity to work with colleagues working on animal models of streptococcal sepsis and IE. This project is a multi-PI collaborative project with Paul Sullam (Microbiologist at UCSF) and Jose Lopez (Hematologist at Bloodworks NW).

This is a full-time position with a 12-month service period (July 1-June 30), with the possibility for yearly renewal dependent upon performance and continued funding. The base salary range for this position will be $5,705 per month, commensurate with experience and qualifications, or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination.

Wendy Thomas seeks to create an environment where all of us feel comfortable bringing our whole selves to work or school. For this reason, she expects trainees to excel in a manner that supports their personal short term objectives and long-term career goals and supports trainees to lean into their strengths as well as to overcome obstacles that they or others have placed in their way.

Requirements:  PhD (or other foreign equivalent) at the time of hire in Microbiology, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering, Biophysics, or related fields, and 1 or more years of experience in flow cytometry experiments and analysis. Experience in bacterial culture and blood cell isolation is also a plus. Applicants should demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills, and the ability to work effectively independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Full Job Description and Application: Please view the full job description and submit a cover letter, CV, and the names/addresses for three references through Interfolio. If you have questions that are not addressed there, you can contact Dr. Thomas at wendyt@uw.edu.

Disability Services: To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.