Position SummaryPurpose of Position JIFSAN a joint program of the University of Maryland and the US FDA is seeking a full time Post Doctoral Associate position within the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition CFSAN The incumbent will participate in applied regulatory research studying the potential for marine and freshwater natural toxin contamination in FDA regulated products The primary focus will be on freshwater cyanotoxins in products that either include cyanobacteria or extracts of cyanobacteria eg foods and dietary supplements or are exposed to cyanobacteria or cyanotoxin contaminated waters during their production eg seafood and produceSuccessful candidates for this research position will be responsible for utilizing biological chemical andor toxicological knowledge and experience to inform scientific and regulatory decisions regarding the safety of FDA regulated products from contamination with marine and freshwater natural toxins The primary focus of this research opportunity will be on products containing freshwater cyanobacteria or extracts of cyanobacteria directly or are exposed to cyanobacteria or cyanotoxin contaminated waters during their production Additional opportunities to participate in research related to marine natural toxins ie saxitoxin domoic acid okadaic acid etc will also be possible Specific duties will include method development and validation as well as potentialproduct screening in a range of FDA regulated products Candidates will have the opportunity to interact with a variety of state and Federal agencies within their area of study Specific Aims Apply biological chemical andor toxicological knowledge and experience to the assessment of foods dietary supplements or other applicable FDA regulated products for potential contamination with marine and freshwater natural toxins Serve as a resource to staff and stakeholders eg other government agencies general public regarding biology chemistry andor toxicology of marine and freshwater natural toxins Gain a comprehensive understanding of and stay current with issues associated with marine and freshwater natural toxins in FDA regulated products by participating in trainingdevelopment opportunities reviewing the scientific literature and attending conferences Work closely with other subject matter experts in the field to identify and close technical knowledge gaps Lead the preparation and presentation of scientific findings at meetingsconferences Publish findings in the scientific literature Essential Duties and Responsibilities Develop validate andor transfer methods of analysis for marine and freshwater natural toxins in FDA regulated products 50 Screen various FDA regulated products for the presence of marine and freshwater natural toxins for risk assessment purposes 20 Perform studies to better understand the uptake depuration and persistence of marine and freshwater natural toxins in FDA regulated products 20 Present data at meetings and publish research findings in peer reviewed journals 10