SUNY Upstate Research Foundation is seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist to join the Upstate Pharmacology Team and will be responsible for Design Reactions, Synthesis, Purification, and Characterization.

Key Responsibilities:

Design reactions:

Conceive, plan, and optimize synthetic routes for novel organic molecules.
Apply mechanistic knowledge and structure activity relationships (SAR) to guide reaction design.
Evaluate alternative strategies to improve yield, selectivity, scalability, and sustainability.
Stay updated on current literature and integrate innovative synthetic methodologies into research.

Synthesis, Purification, and Classification:

Carry out multistep organic synthesis with high reproducibility.
Perform compound purification using chromatography, crystallization, distillation, or other appropriate methods.
Characterize products using NMR, MS, IR, HPLC, GPC, TLC, UVVis, and other analytical techniques.
Troubleshoot reactions, analyze side products, and refine conditions for optimal outcomes.
Ensure synthesized compounds meet purity, stability, and structural requirements for downstream applications.

Lab Management:

Maintain and organize laboratory equipment, chemical inventory, and safety protocols.
Train and mentor junior researchers, graduate students, and rotation students in experimental techniques.
Ensure compliance with institutional and federal safety regulations (chemical hygiene, waste management, IACUC-related procedures if applicable).
Coordinate with collaborators and core facilities for shared instrumentation and services.
Support smooth day-to-day laboratory operations, including ordering supplies and scheduling instrument use.
Prepare reports and manuscripts:
Compile and analyze experimental data into clear figures, tables, and graphs.
Write progress reports for principal investigators, funding agencies, or industrial partners.
Contribute to drafting and revising manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication.
Assist with writing patents, grant applications, or technical documents when needed.
Present findings at internal meetings, conferences, and seminars.

Maintain records:

Keep accurate, detailed, and timely electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) or paper records of experimental procedures and results.
Document experimental parameters, conditions, and troubleshooting notes to ensure reproducibility.
Archive and organize analytical data in shared databases for team accessibility.
Follow best practices for data integrity, confidentiality, and compliance with institutional policies.
Contribute to maintaining transparent workflows that facilitate knowledge transfer across the team.

Minimum Qualifications:

PhD in Organic Chemistry or a closely related discipline.
Expertise in chemical synthesis, purification, and characterization.
Hands-on experience in chromatography, NMR, MS.
Design and execute multistep organic synthesis.
Familiar with scale-up synthesis and optimization of synthetic routes.
Effective oral and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

Strong record of publications.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Experience in structure-activity relationship studies and molecule design.
Proficiency in handling air- and moisture-sensitive reactions.
Experience leading research projects.

Work Days:

Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00pm

Message to Applicants:

Salary Range: $50,000 - $60,000, DOE

Recruitment Office: Human Resources

Apply now

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