People
Email Us: Andrea Meredith
Postdocs: Ria Dinsdale, Hans Moldenhauer, Su Mi Park, Beth McNally,Jenna Montgomery (Harvey)
Research Associates: Hans Moldenhauaer
Grad Students: Cooper Roache, Katia Matychak, Amber Plante, Mike Lai, Josh Whitt
Prism Medical Fellows: Indira Jetton, Jacob Miller, Cole Bailey
Undergrads: Kelly Tammen, Zulqarnain Khan, Jessica Lu
Positions Available
Technician (immediate): General lab duties and KCNMA1-Linked Channelopathy
We are seeking a highly reliable technician to join our team full- or part-time and contribute to our studies of a new disorder associated with mutations in KCNMA1. The basic responsibilities of the position include assisting Dr. Meredith and lab members with general lab duties and maintenance of a small transgenic mouse colony. Duties vary by day, but include daily cage monitoring, changing ~6 mouse cages once a week, tail clips and ear punches for genotyping once every 3 weeks, sweep/mop mouse room once a month, monitor mice on running wheels daily, and husbandry (setting up breeders, weaning pups) once a week. The position requires strong organizational record-keeping skills, the ability to handle mice and collect tissue samples, and maintaining cleanliness of the animal colony cages and rooms. This is a good side job for someone on campus regularly (ie students). Training in animal handling will be provided. Other lab duties include ordering, cleaning lab spaces, assisting lab members and collaborators with experiments and contributing to publications, and administrative and institutional compliance tasks.
The position could be increased to full time for a candidate with tissue culture experience who is able to learn and perform multi-electrode array recordings (see Kent and Meredith, 2008). The multi-electrode array experiments will be geared toward understanding abnormal brain activity in KCNMA1 channelopathy (see Park et al, 2022).
Requirements: B.S. or equivalent in a science discipline. We are looking for a dependable, conscientious worker with excellent communication and problem-solving skills, and a highly consistent schedule. Applicants should also be able to work one hour per weekend, twice a month, to check mice.
To apply: Please send an email to Dr. Andrea Meredith, including:
- A cover letter describing your background and interest in the position
- Your CV or resume (with GPA)
- Names and contact information of 2-3 references
Postdoc (available October 2022): KCNMA1-Linked Channelopathy
Our research focuses on the mechanisms by which ion channels regulate information coding in the brain and other excitable cells. In my lab, we combine the genetic manipulation of ion channels with electrophysiology, imaging, and in vivo physiology. Two central goals of the lab are to identify the fundamental biophysical properties of ion channels that cause neurological disease, and to identify the ion channel basis for state-dependent changes in action potential activity in the circadian clock of the brain. Techniques in the lab include voltage- and current-clamp recordings, multi-electrode array recordings, imaging/FRET, molecular biology, transgenics, and in vivo telemetry.
For this postdoctoral position, we are seeking a highly motivated team-player to contribute to our studies of a new ion channelopathy defined by mutations in KCNMA1, the gene encoding the large conductance Ca2+-activated BK channel. The project involves investigating KCNMA1 channelopathy patient mutations and their impact on BK currents in heterologous cells and neuronal excitability in mouse models. See our recent publications:
- BK channel properties correlate with neurobehavioral severity in three KCNMA1-linked channelopathy mouse models. eLife, 2022.
- An Emerging Spectrum of Variants and Clinical Features in KCNMA1-Linked Channelopathy. Channels, 2021.
- Comparative Gain-of-Function Effects of KCNMA1-N999S Mutation on Human BK Channel Properties. Journal of Neurophysiology, 2020.
Requirements: Candidates should have a PhD in biophysics, neuroscience, physiology, or other relevant field. Experience with electrophysiological recordings is required. Excellent oral and written communication skills should be demonstrated through publications and presentations.
To apply: Please send your application by email to Dr. Andrea Meredith, including:
- your CV
- a letter describing research accomplishments, expertise, and career goals
- the names and contact information for three references
Information for Postdocs at UMB
The Department of Physiology offers outstanding research and NIH-funded postdoctoral training opportunities. The University of Maryland School of Medicine, located in downtown Baltimore, is the oldest public medical school in the U.S. and the founding campus of the University of Maryland system. The School of Medicine ranks 6th among all 76 public medical schools.
Lab Alumni and Current Positions
Postdocs
- Hans Moldenhauer: Researcher at the Millennium Nucleus of Ion Channel-Associated Diseases (MiNICAD), Santiago, Chile (and Research Associate in the lab)
- Jenna Montgomery: Principle Scientist, Electrophysiology, Cerevance; Cambridge, UK
- Chris Shelley: Assistant Professor, University of the South, Sewanee, TN
- Rachel White: Research Associate at U. Penn
Graduate Students
- Cooper Roache
- Katia Matychak
- Mike Lai: Scientist at The Gladstone Institute (Mission Bay, UCSF)
- Josh Whitt: Postdoc at Brown
Undergrads
- Kelly Tammen
- Betsy Zemen: University of Central Florida (PhD Program)
- Breanne Wright: Purdue (PhD Program)
- Benyam Kinde: Harvard (MD/PhD program)
- Grace Silva: UNC (PhD Program)
- Jack Kent: Chief Commercialization Officer, Coaptech Medical Devices
Rotation Students: Program in Neuroscience, Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Training Program in Integrative Membrane Biology (TPIMB), and UMCP BioEngineering Program.