Open Positions in Medical Microbiology and Immunology
Position Overview
Salary Range: The salary range for this position is $93,700-$109,400. This position includes membership in the Health Sciences Compensation Plan.
Application Window
Open Date: Aug. 18, 2026
Next Review Date: Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.
Final Date: Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.
Position Description
The Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, is recruiting for full-time faculty member in the Adjunct series at the Assistant Professor rank in the field of Microbiology and Immunology.
Faculty in this series are expected to engage in research or other creative work, participate in teaching at the undergraduate or graduate level, demonstrate professional competence and activity, and provide University and public service. The successful candidate requires innovative and creative contributions to an active research program.
EXPECTATIONS
Work on three research projects:
Project 1: Elucidate the molecular mechanisms through which the gut microbiota initiates inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) because a depletion of Clostridia impairs catabolism of artificial sweeteners, thereby triggering osmotic stress which aggravates colitis.
Project 2: Test the central hypothesis that a heightened level of oxygen in the gut during chronic kidney disease (CKD) fuels the growth of Enterobacteriaceae through aerobic respiration, consequently escalating indole production and thereby increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Project 3: Test the central hypothesis that restoring colonic epithelial hypoxia after antibiotic treatment can accelerate microbiota recovery to restore colonization resistance against C. difficile.
The candidate will provide service to department, school, or campus committees, foster collegiality and collaboration in a diverse environment, and adhere to University policies and procedures.
This recruitment is conducted at the assistant rank. The resulting hire will be at the assistant rank, regardless of the proposed appointee's qualifications.
This appointment is contingent upon the availability of grant funding.
For the full position description and to apply, visit: UC Davis Recruit page.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications (required at time of application)
- Ph.D. in Medical Sciences with focus on Microbiology and Immunology.
Preferred Qualifications (other preferred, but not required, qualifications for the position)
- Demonstrated success in securing extramural research funding as Principal Investigator, including federal, foundation, or other competitive research awards.
- Evidence of an established or emerging independent research program with the potential to sustain externally funded research activities.
- Strong record of scholarly achievement and research productivity commensurate with career stage.
- Demonstrated leadership in developing and managing collaborative, multidisciplinary research initiatives.
- Experience serving as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on sponsored research projects.
- Eligibility to serve as an independent investigator and to obtain and manage extramural funding in accordance with institutional and sponsor requirements.
- Demonstrated ability to secure extramural research funding.
Application Requirements
Document Requirements
- Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
- Cover Letter
- Statement of Research (Optional)
- Authorization to Release Information Form - This form is required for all applicants applying to academic recruitments. Please see the Employment Disclosure Requirements webpage for more information. Download, complete, sign, and upload the form.
- Statement of Teaching (Optional)
Reference Requirements
- 3-5 required (contact information only)
Help Contact: amysaini@ucdavis.edu
Position Overview
Salary Range: A reasonable estimate for this position is $79,400-$83,700.
Application Window
Open Date: Aug. 28, 2026
Next Review Date: Monday, Sept. 14, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.
Final Date: Monday, Sept. 28, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.
Position Description
The University of California (UC) Davis, School of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology seeks to hire a full-time employee as a Project Scientist at the Assistant level.
The Project Scientist makes significant and creative contributions to a research or creative project in his/her academic discipline. The appointee possesses the subject matter expertise and the creative energy necessary to function at a high level of competence. The appointee will participate in activities to increase, improve, or upgrade competency. Appointees with Project Scientist series may engage in University and public service. They do not have teaching responsibilities. Although the Project Scientist is expected to work independently under the general guidance of an academic member with an independent research program (i.e., Professor, Professional Researcher, etc.), they are not required to develop an independent research program or reputation. The Project Scientist will carry out research or creative programs with supervision by an individual in an academic title that carries with it automatic Principal status. The Project Scientist does not usually serve as a Principal Investigator but may do so by exception. The incumbent will work under the supervision of Professor Dennis Hartigan-O’Connor and have the ability to work cooperatively and collegially in a diverse environment.
Major Responsibilities
1) RESEARCH (85% Effort)
Research Activity (65%)
This position requires creative contributions to and collaborative development of an active research program investigating topics relevant to the research area of modeling immune responses to vaccines against infectious diseases. The candidate will help to determine research goals in consultation with the Principal Investigator, design specific projects including the selection of appropriate methods and techniques, supervise students or technicians regarding the technical aspects of the research, including methods development, trouble-shooting problems, interpreting results and planning follow up experiments.
The appointee will help to determine research goals in consultation with the Principal Investigators. The Project Scientist will design specific projects, including the selection of appropriate methods and techniques. In some cases, the appointee may supervise students or technicians regarding the technical aspects of the research, including methods development, trouble-shooting problems, interpreting results and planning follow-up experiments. The appointee collaborates with scientific colleagues in multi-disciplinary projects that include components falling within the appointee’s area of expertise.
Position duties include analyzing vaccine responses in animal models using next-approach methodologies and analyzing mechanisms contributing to failed or transient responses. The candidate must have experience in working with organoids. The candidate will publish research in peer-reviewed journals either independently or in collaboration with the PI or other members of the research team and assist in writing proposals and progress reports for funding from federal agencies or other sources. The candidate will participate in professional societies and conferences appropriate to their specific field and will serve as a reviewer of research proposals and scientific publications as appropriate. They will attend seminars to present research results and may give oral presentations to public and professional interest groups. They may coordinate and/or give presentations at seminars, laboratory meetings or educational functions.
Publication (15%)
The appointee will publish research in peer-reviewed journals either independently or in collaboration with the PI or other members of the research team.
Grant Acquisition (5%)
The appointee will assist in writing proposals for funding from federal and state agencies and other funding organizations. The appointee will prepare and assist in the preparation of reports as required by granting agencies and prepare modifications of budgets and other grant components as needed.
2) PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ACTIVITY (15% Effort)
The candidate will participate in professional societies and conferences appropriate to his/her specific fields of immunology and metabolism instrumentation and applications and will serve as a reviewer of research proposals and scientific publications as appropriate. The candidate will attend seminars to present research results and may give oral presentations to public and professional interest groups. When appropriate, the candidate may coordinate and/or give presentations at seminars, laboratory meetings or educational functions.
3) UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE (0% Effort)
- The appointee may occasionally undertake administrative tasks relevant to the smooth running of the laboratory enterprise as appropriate.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications (required at time of application)
Candidates must possess a Ph.D. in Immunology or Enzymology and have at least three years' postdoctoral experience in Microbiology or Immunology.
Additional Qualifications (required at time of start)
The following research experience is required for this position: prior research in both cellular metabolism and vaccines, expertise in both mouse and non-human primate models of infectious disease and vaccination, expertise in creating and analyzing organoids, and experience in flow cytometry. Further, the candidate should have training and experience in basic data analysis using R or Python.
Preferred Qualifications (other preferred, but not required, qualifications for the position)
Experience in mentoring graduate and undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds in experimentation and data analyses. Experience reviewing manuscripts.
Application Requirements
Document Requirements
- Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
- Cover Letter (Optional)
- Statement of Research (Optional)
- Authorization to Release Information Form - This form is required for all applicants applying to academic recruitments. Please see the Employment Disclosure Requirements webpage for more information. Download, complete, sign, and upload the form.
- Statement of Teaching (Optional)
Reference Requirements
- 3-5 letters of reference required
Help Contact: amysaini@ucdavis.edu
Postdoctoral Scholar (3252) Position Available at the University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA
Overview
One NIH-funded Postdoctoral Scholar (3252) position is available in the Link Laboratory at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine at 100% FTE. The Link Laboratory is interested in exploring the nutrition-microbiome-immune cell crosstalk through the lens of macrophages and their interaction with tissues in genetically diverse mice and human patients utilizing cutting edge multi-omics technologies.
To support our current ongoing activities, we are looking for a postdoctoral scientist with experience in immunology. We will prefer a candidate with a strong background in mucosal immunology and experience with innate immunity. In addition, experience with high throughput sequencing (RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, single cell RNA-seq etc.), microbiome analysis, and animal handing are highly desirable.
For additional information about the project, contact directly Verena Link (vlink@ucdavis.edu).
Experience Required
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- M.D. and/or Ph.D. in molecular biology, immunology, cell biology, or relevant scientific discipline by appointment start date
- Experience in general immunology
- Experience in cell-based assays including flow cytometry
- Excellent communication skills
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience in mucosal immunology, innate immunity, microbiome and next-generation sequencing methods, as well as animal handling is highly desirable.
The selected applicant will be required to complete a background check and health screening prior to their first day of employment per university policy.
Our lab is a member of the interactive and collaborative Medical Microbiology and Immunology group, comprised of an outstanding community of scientists and laboratories across the medical campus.
The University of California Davis School of Medicine in Davis, California, is consistently ranked among the top schools in the nation for primary care training and research. The UC Davis School of Medicine is among the nation’s leading medical schools, committed to providing the best student-centered educational experiences. Our school encompasses a diverse group of medical and graduate students guided by faculty dedicated to improving lives and transforming health for all. As part of UC Davis Health, the School of Medicine is helping train the nation’s healthcare workforce and preparing them to become future leaders in health and research for our communities.
The University of California, Davis offers an exciting collaborative working environment, the possibility to interact with interdisciplinary research groups, and a HIGHLY competitive salary and benefits. Davis is a beautiful college town with a laid back and friendly vibe, ideally situated near world-famous wine-growing regions and Lake Tahoe. You can walk or bike from the main campus to the main street in a few blocks.
Job Duties:
- Participate in planning, designing, and executing technical and complex research projects, as assigned under the direction of a supervisor
- Contribute to grant application and publications
- Proven ability to work in a collaborative research team
Additional Information: Please send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a complete bibliography, and a statement of research interests to directly Verena Link, Ph.D.; Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, UC Davis, vlink@ucdavis.edu.
