Post-doctoral Fellowship in Combat Casualty Care and Wound Healing at the U.S. Army Institute for Surgical Research

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Supported by Department of Defense Grant #DAMD 17-02-1-0717

The Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative (PTEI) invites applicants to its Department of Defense (DOD) program to support postdoctoral research in collaboration with the US Army Medical Research and Material Command (AMRMC) at the US Army Institute of Surgical Research (ISR), at Fort Sam Houston, TX. PTEI is a unique consortium of major research institutes and universities in southwestern Pennsylvania, with established national and international partnerships with leading TE research leaders and centers.

In recognition of the strength of this structure, PTEI received an initial award from the US DOD for establishment of the first National Tissue Engineering Center, which services the DOD as a venue for civilian and military scientists, clinicians, and engineers. The postdoctoral fellow will be placed with ISR researchers and to engage in TE research, which addresses the preservation, health, and safety of soldiers.  Participating postdoctoral fellows further benefit from the PTEI collaborative by being invited to interface with PTEI and its researchers and postdoctoral fellows across the PTEI network. 

A critical part of the DOD postdoctoral research program mission is training of scientists in the field of TE as well as fostering development of civilian and military interdisciplinary research teams. Postdoctoral fellows will pursue TE research training at the ISR, which is the US Army research and development laboratory dedicated to improving care to military personnel who suffer traumatic injury. As part of this effort, the ISR develops, characterizes, and uses animal models of traumatic injuries to investigate the pathophysiology of traumatic injury, as well as to develop and test novel therapeutics for the treatment of such injuries in order to sustain life and optimize functional recovery.

Of those injured on the battlefield, over 70% have extremity injuries involving soft and hard tissues. In order to develop technologies to restore damaged or missing tissues, the ISR Tissue Trauma Group focuses on using animal models to develop therapeutics aimed at regeneration of functional muscle and bone. Research efforts are currently focused on the use of extracellular matrix materials to improve function of injured tissues. Postdoc candidates are expected to have experience in either bench-top or pre-clinical development of such materials.

To be successful, candidates will currently have or will develop expertise in immunohistochemistry and standard molecular biological methods in order to characterize the regenerative response of tissues treated with novel therapeutics. Postdoctoral fellows will work as a team member and develop an understanding of physiology and the ability to use standard mechanical testing techniques to assess tissue function. Emphasis is placed on transitioning products from pre-clinical to clinical testing in a collaborative environment involving researchers and clinicians. 

According to DOD eligibility criteria, a trainee must be a citizen or non-citizen national of the U.S. or must have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence. Applicants with a PhD, MD, and related advanced degrees are eligible. A record of scientific achievement is highly desirable.

PTEI is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.