STAFF ASSOCIATE PROGRAM

Philosophy

Maintaining a venue for promising but risky ventures has become especially important as the mainstream research system increasingly selects for projects that extend accepted wisdom, rather than challenge it. With regularity, Staff Associates question accepted dogma, venture in new directions, and pursue unproved, risk-prone projects long enough for hidden merits to be revealed. Staff Associates are independent junior faculty members who hold non-renewable faculty level appointments for up to five years. They may be appointed in lieu of or after completing a regular postdoctoral fellowship. It is a time for these young scientists to build a research program with no distractions. Staff Associates work at the bench in their own laboratory space, often with the help of a technician or summer student. While pursuing their research goals, Staff Associates remain closely connected to the Department, attending seminars and lab meetings with faculty groups (link) of their choice. Because the Staff Associate program has succeeded in nurturing many exceptional scientists, the number of Staff Associate positions has been increased in recent years.

Applications

Interested applicants should send a CV and have four letters of reference sent to Dr. Allan Spradling, Director, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Department of Embryology, 3520 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218.

Former Staff Associates

Name Years Current Title/Position
Pat Gearhart 1979-1981 National Inst. on Aging, National Inst. of Health

Steve McKnight

1980-1982

Chairman, Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Rick Rotundo 1982-1984 Professor, Cell Biology & Anatomy, University of Miami
Sondra Lazarowitz 1983-1990 Professor, Plant Pathology, Cornell University
Martin Snider 1983-1985 Professor, Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve
David Schwartz

1985-1989

 Professor, Chemistry and Genetics, U.Wisconsin Madison
Phil Beachy 1986-1988 Professor, Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Andy Fire

 1986-1989 Scientific Staff, Departments of Pathology and Genetics, Stanford Medical School
Se-Jin Lee 1989-1991 Professor, Molecular Biology & Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Denise Montell 1989-1992 Professor, Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Nipam Patel 1991-1995 Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Professor, Integrative Biology, U.C. Berkeley
Catherine Thompson  1992-1996 Asst. Prof., Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine/Kennedy Krieger Institute
Susan Dymecki 1993-1998

Associate Prof., Genetics, Harvard Medical School
Pernille Rørth 1995-1998 Group Leader, Developmental Biology, EMBL Heidelberg
Alejandro Sánchez  1996-2002 Professor of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Univ. of Utah School of Medicine, Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Jimo Borjigin 1998-2003 Asst. Prof., Physiology, University of Michigan
Erika Matunis 1998-2003 Asst. Prof., Cell Biology & Anatomy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Jim Wilhelm 2000-2006 Assistant Professor of Biology, University of California, San Diego