Scripps Research Fellows Program
Overview
Title: Scripps Research Fellow, Fall 2025
Location: La Jolla, CA
Open Date: September 01, 2024
Deadline: December 31, 2024
Application Link: http://apply.interfolio.com/153949
Description
Scripps Research Fellows are intended to be scientists of exceptional promise and creativity who have recently completed their Ph.D. training, or with limited postdoctoral experience (< 1 year).
Scripps Research Fellows are housed in the laboratory of a faculty sponsor who will provide space and share instrumentation, along with mentorship and guidance. The Fellows are provided with full salary support and funds for two lab members for a period of three years, at which time they will be reviewed for a faculty position either within Scripps Research or at another prestigious location. The Fellows pursue independent research projects, but also have the opportunity to work closely with students and postdocs supported by the faculty sponsor. The Scripps Research Fellows have full Principal Investigator status and have privileges to apply for external grants to expand their research program. The Fellows will have a strong support network and opportunities to build a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative program, thus capitalizing on the intrinsic strengths of the Institute. Successful Scripps Research Fellows have emerged as nationally competitive for faculty positions, but thus far have largely chosen to remain at Scripps Research to build their independent careers.
Scripps Research promotes diversity of thought, culture and background in the fields of science. We recruit, train, compensate and promote regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or other protected status as required by applicable law. Individuals from groups that are underrepresented in biomedical research are highly encouraged to apply.
Qualifications
Candidates must have a recently (< 1 year) received a PhD, MD, DVM or equivalent in a relevant discipline, and have an outstanding record of graduate research that demonstrates originality in addressing significant questions. Successful candidates will be expected to establish a small yet active research group, be an interactive member of the faculty, and participate in interdisciplinary research and training.
Application Instructions
Applications will be reviewed by a diverse Search Committee with representatives across all scientific disciplines. The first round of review will be on applications submitted by December 31, 2024. Applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled or by the close of May 2025. Anticipated start date will be Fall 2025.
Required components of the application include:
- Cover Letter
- Curriculum Vitae, including Training Record and Publication List
- Diversity Statement (see application for examples)
- Letters of Recommendations uploaded by 3 referees
- Personal statement (1 page) about the candidate’s career goals, relevant experience, and how the candidate would contribute to the goals of the Scripps Research Fellows Program.
- Research statement (up to 3 pages; an additional page may be used for references) addressing the following questions:
-
- What is the research problem?
- What could be accomplished on a 3-year timescale?
- How can Scripps Research enable these accomplishments?
CURRENT FELLOWS
The Miller lab focuses on developing new methods for the successful delivery of gene-editing biomolecules to cells. By improving delivery efficiency and reducing potential off-target effects, Miller hopes her group’s research will accelerate the generation and implementation of future gene therapies for conditions ranging from hereditary blindness to blood disorders.
In summer 2022, Miller joined Scripps Research as a Fellow. Miller obtained her PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from Harvard University.
"After finishing my PhD, I felt ready for greater independence and am looking forward to the increased mentorship role that the Fellows Program could provide. I think Scripps Research is going in an exciting direction and the supportive environment here for early-career faculty really helps kickstart careers."
The Park lab focuses on unravelling the mechanisms of tuberculosis and designing antibacterial medicines to stop the spread of disease in developing nations. Using high-resolution imaging techniques such as cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), Park is understanding how the bacterial nanomachinery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes infection and how this critical process can be targeted therapeutically.
Park joined Scripps Research as a Fellow in fall 2022. Park obtained his PhD in Microbial Pathogenesis at the Microbial Sciences Institute at Yale University.
“It’s difficult to find one institute that has so many resources for imaging and structural biology. With its rich infrastructure and the greater independence that the Fellows Program could provide, I knew that Scripps Research was the right place for me.”
Megan Ken will be a Scripps Research Fellow in the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology in October 2023. Ken arrives at Scripps Research from the Al-Hashimi Lab at Duke University School of Medicine, where she studied the structural biophysics and cellular functions of viral RNAs. Her future research plans will focus on studying viral RNA-protein interactions in cells and in vitro to understand fundamental biology of infection and identify new targets or mechanisms for antiviral development.
Ken earned her MD/PhD dual degree at Duke University School of Medicine and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the Washington University in St. Louis.
PAST FELLOWS
Michael Bollong, PhD, develops drug-like small molecules to study and intervene in the cellular processes that cause disease. Specifically, his group identifies new molecules and mechanisms to promote regenerative organ repair, and to activate protective transcriptional stress responses.
Bollong was hired as the first Scripps Research Fellow in 2017, after earning his doctorate at Scripps Research. He was promoted to assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry in 2020. Continuing his advancement, in 2023 Bollong was promoted to Associate Professor, tenure-track.
"The exceptional environment of Scripps Research, including its faculty and resources, along with the flexibility and funding of the Scripps Fellows Program was uniquely enabling of my research group, providing the tools and environment for our ambitious program’s success."
Michael Erb, PhD, studies tumorigenic gene regulation to identify new cancer vulnerabilities. The Erb lab develops chemical tools to drug and study such vulnerabilities with the intention of advancing new therapeutic approaches to address human cancers.
After earning his doctorate in chemical biology at Harvard University, Erb launched his own research lab as a Scripps Research Fellow in 2017. He was promoted to assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry in 2020. In 2023, Erb was promoted to Associate Professor, tenure-track, continuing to build on his successful research program.
"Scripps Research has taken great care to create a program that gives Fellows every opportunity to build a successful research program. In particular I found the formal and informal mentorship structures with senior colleagues to be invaluable in the transition to an independent position."
Danielle Grotjahn, PhD, studies the interplay of mitochondria and their surrounding cellular environment, especially in response to cellular stress. She employs advanced structural and computational tools including cryogenic electronic microscopy.
After joining Scripps Research as a Fellow in 2019, Grotjahn was promoted to assistant professor in the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology in 2021. Previously, Grotjahn completed a postdoctoral position at the California Institute of Technology. She earned her doctorate at Scripps Research.
"From the mentorship and guidance from senior colleagues to the camaraderie among the junior faculty, I really have a sense that everyone here wants me to succeed, and is willing to invest their time and resources to support my scientific career."
The Droujinine lab is developing novel proteomic and genetic tools in order to characterize networks of proteins at work in physiology and disease. Secreted proteins coordinate functions of organs and organisms, and compose a yet-uncharacterized communication network that is dysregulated in disease.
Droujinine completed his PhD at Harvard Medical School and started his lab at Scripps Research as a Fellow in 2020. In 2023, he was promoted to Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine.
"Scripps Research is a world leader in the development of proteomic technologies and research in systemic physiology and disease. My mentors and colleagues, who are experts in these areas, have been extremely supportive with their time and resources, and the Fellows Program provides generous funding. I am grateful for their investments in the future of my research program."
The Mravic lab specializes in computational design, protein chemistry and structural biology to understand membrane proteins, specifically, their molecular mechanism and folding physics. The lab develops software to engineer novel synthetic membrane proteins and lipid-embedding chemical biology tool molecules to targeting natural membrane protein structural and functional states in disease. Mravic earned his doctorate in biophysics from the University of California, San Francisco, became a Scripps Research Fellow in 2020 and was recently promoted to Assistant Professor in 2023.
"The Scripps Research leadership and senior faculty have proven to be deeply invested in my new group’s success. The Fellows Program and Scripps Research environment offered the resources, facilities and mentorship that enabled my highly interdisciplinary lab work to get off the ground quickly. Scripps Research embraces personal diversity and fosters a culture of innovation, making it an ideal place to launch an independent research career."
Raktim Roy, PhD
The Roy lab studies how living organisms construct useful biological substances called peptides to confer a fitness advantage. Understanding these processes may offer insights into fundamental biology, and provide ideas for the rational design of new therapeutics, including novel antibiotics.
Proteins are built in the cell’s ribosomes, which stitch them together one amino acid at a time, according to a genetic template. The peptide assembly systems studied in the Roy lab come together without such templates. Enzymes called “Non-Ribosomal Peptide Synthetases” create a potential portfolio of new drug targets with unexplored mechanisms. The Roy lab applies methods of structural biology, molecular dynamics and chemical biology to gain new insights.
Roy joined the Florida campus of Scripps Research as a Fellow in 2019 after earning his doctorate in chemistry from Yale University.
As of 2022, Roy is an Assistant Research Professor at UF Scripps Biomedical Research.
“The Scripps Fellows program is a playbook for success; it provides a platform for scientists from diverse backgrounds to initiate their own independent research and an opportunity to flourish together with outstanding leaders of biomedical sciences.”
Vineet Augustine, PhD
The Augustine lab focuses on discerning neural pathways at the heart-brain interface involved in maintaining cardiovascular function. By using state-of-the-art neuroscience tools, including anatomical tracing, tissue clearing, neuronal imaging and manipulation, Augustine’s group aims to understand how communication at the heart-brain axis is disrupted in hypertension and myocardial infarction.
Augustine joined Scripps Research as a fellow in 2019. Previously, Augustine obtained his PhD from the California Institute of Technology.
As of 2023, Augustine is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, San Diego.
"Scripps Research is a special place. Everyone is invested in each other's success, which is wonderful. It makes doing science an exhilarating journey."
Who Should Apply?
The Scripps Research Fellows Program seeks scientists of exceptional promise and creativity who have recently completed their PhD in chemistry or biology, or spent less than a year working as a research associate in the biomedical sciences.
Scripps Research Fellows receive salary support for themselves and two lab members for three years. As a Fellow, they have Principal Investigator status and apply for external grants, while working closely with a faculty sponsor who shares laboratory space and equipment. Successful Fellows frequently gain promotion to tenure-track faculty.
Scripps Research promotes diversity of thought, culture and background in the fields of science. We recruit, train, compensate and promote regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or other protected status as required by applicable law. Individuals from groups that are underrepresented in biomedical research are highly encouraged to apply.
The Scripps Research Enviornment
Scripps Research encompasses nearly 800,000 square feet of laboratories across the Torrey Pines Mesa in La Jolla, CA. Here, more than 175 principal investigators work with their laboratory teams to push the boundaries of human knowledge, improve human health and train the next generation of researchers. An elite corps of scientific leaders, including Nobel laureates, Wolf Prize winners, MacArthur Fellows and members of prestigious scientific academies, join about 1,800 staff scientists, graduate students, postdoctoral associates and administrative professionals.
In addition to Scripps Research, the institute includes two unique divisions. The drug discovery and development division, Calibr, works hand-in-hand with scientists across disciplines to translate discoveries into new medicines for patients. Teams at the Scripps Research Translational Institute harness genomics, digital medicine, and bioinformatics to render more effective healthcare and individualized treatment approaches.
Scripps Research also trains future scientists through its Skaggs Graduate School, consistently named among the top 10 U.S. programs for chemistry and biological sciences, unique for its immersive research experience and rigorous academics.