At VCU, we take pride in our deep commitment to our postdoctoral community. In 2026, the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) named VCU as one of only 12 recipients of its inaugural Institutional Policy Awards, in recognition of our transformative efforts to elevate quality of life and workplace equity for postdocs.

VCU postdocs are Virginia state employees, with benefits mirroring 12-month faculty. We adhere closely to the NPA’s guidelines for best practices in postdoc training. We work closely with our local NPA chapter, the VCU Postdoc Association, to make this a welcoming and productive place to complete your training!

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU’s sponsored research, the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient care and education. Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity employer.

Unit: School Of Medicine MBU

Department: Pharmacology and Toxicology

Department Summary: The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology of Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to an outstanding education of professional and graduate students as well as to cutting edge research. The atmosphere of the department is one of congeniality and collaboration. Alumni of the department have achieved prominent roles in academia, industry, and government. The goal of the department is to contribute to improved health through a better understanding of the mechanism of action of safer and more effective therapies. The education of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who have the potential to become independent, highly regarded scientists and excellent teachers in pharmacology is a priority.

Position Summary: Seeking to recruit an early-stage postdoctoral researcher with experience in electrophysiology. This individual will be expected to support R01-funded research on alcohol use disorder, with a focus on neuronal function and circuit activity. Responsibilities will include preparing experimental materials, performing and assisting with electrophysiological recordings, maintaining laboratory equipment, and organizing experimental data. Candidate should have strong technical, organizational, and communication skills, along with experience in electrophysiology, data analysis, and general laboratory procedures.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Preparing and maintaining brain slice or cell culture experiments, operating electrophysiology recording systems, performing and assisting with whole-cell patch clamp recording procedures. Responsibilities include preparing solutions and reagents, maintaining laboratory equipment, collecting and organizing experimental data, supporting data analysis and preparation of manuscripts for publication. Responsibilities will also include animal (mouse) handling and general laboratory organization to ensure efficient day-to-day research operations. The successful candidate will be expected to engage in training of graduate student and undergraduate trainees.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

Ph.D. in pharmacology or related field. Demonstrated experience with at least one form of electrophysiology and also with rodent handling (including drug administration). Proven record of training others in a research laboratory environment.

Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a post doc at VCU. 

Preferred Qualifications

Candidates will be expected to have familiarity with data acquisition and analysis software, such as pClamp and Clampfit. Prior hands-on experience with whole-cell patch clamp recordings in brain slices or cultured neurons is not required but, if not already acquired, a clear interest in developing this skill-set is strongly preferred. Candidates with a demonstrated record of research related to nicotinic acetylcholine receptor pharmacology and biology, or alcohol-use disorder will be strongly preferred. Additional desirable qualifications include strong organizational and communication skills (including a track-record of publication), experience with rodent handling and basic histological techniques such as immunohistochemistry, and the ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a collaborative research environment.

Salary Range: $63,480 – $63,900

Benefits: All VCU employee types are eligible for a wide array of benefits to support you during your employment at VCU. Consult the benefits website for information on benefits eligibility according to employee type.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Hours per Week: 40

ORP Eligible: Yes

Flexible Work Arrangement: Fully Onsite

This is a restricted position with no set end date; continued employment is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance.

University Job Title: Post-Doctoral Fellow

Contact Information:
Contact Name: Paul Whiteaker, Ph.D. 
Contact Email: Paul.Whiteaker@vcuhealth.org