Postdoctoral Research Associate – Ocean Biofluids Lab

Position Overview

The Ocean Biofluids Lab led by Dr. Kevin Du Clos at Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) seeks to hire a Postdoctoral Research Associate for an NSF-funded research project exploring the roles of understudied gelatinous organisms in marine food webs. The primary research focus of the lab is understanding interactions between marine organisms and their physical fluid environments, using imaging and numerical modeling techniques.

The successful applicant will collect and analyze data from field and lab-based imaging systems to constrain the feeding rates of three groups of gelatinous marine predators—siphonophores, hydromedusae, and cydippid ctenophores—that use tentacles to capture their prey. The position will be based at LUMCON’s Blue Works facility in Houma, LA with some travel to the DeFelice Field Station in Cocodrie, LA required. There will be opportunities for out-of-state travel for field work (Hawaii and Washington State), conferences, and to work with collaborator Dr. Kelly Sutherland (University of Oregon).

Minimum Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in any area of science or engineering
• Experience with data analysis using one or more scientific programming languages, such as Python, MATLAB, or R
• Experience contributing to peer-reviewed scientific publications

Ideal Candidate / Preferred Qualifications

• Scientific SCUBA diving experience/certification
• Experience with PyTorch or another machine learning library

Essential Duties

• Collect imaging data in support of the project; perform plankton net sampling
• Analyze data; assist with maintaining phytoplankton cultures
• Prepare manuscripts for peer review
• Present results at scientific conferences
• Assist with lab organization and maintenance
• Assist with mentoring undergraduate interns

Review of applications will commence immediately and continue until the position is filled.