At the forefront of medical discovery as it relates to understanding the causes of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia, Pennington Biomedical Research Center is a campus of Louisiana State University and conducts basic, clinical and population research. The Center includes Basic Science, Clinical Research, and Population and Public Health, enabling both focused research and translational science. Research at Pennington Biomedical is supported broadly by multiple NIH Research Centers, and includes approximately 65 faculty and 20 postdoctoral fellows who comprise a network of 44 laboratories and 13 highly specialized core service facilities. Pennington Biomedical is located within state-of-the-art research facilities on a 222-acre campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Postdoctoral Researcher - Human Performance
Other Academic
LSUPBRC Clinic - Center for Human Performance Optimization (Stefan Michael Pasiakos (00276974))
LSU - Pennington Biomedical
Other Academic
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a world-renowned academic research institute of Louisiana State University, is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Human Performance Optimization Laboratory.
The Center for Human Performance at Pennington Biomedical Research Center invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical and translational research. The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary research team and contribute to the development of a newly established center focused on advancing evidence‑based strategies to optimize health and performance under conditions of extreme physiological and cognitive stress. Building on nearly four decades of collaborative research with the U.S. Department of Defense, the center aims to expand the scope and impact of Pennington Biomedical’s human performance research portfolio through integrative investigations across nutrition, exercise physiology, pharmacology, and emerging technologies. These efforts are directed toward reducing injury risk, mitigating deconditioning, and enhancing operational readiness in high‑demand populations, including astronauts, military personnel, and first responders.
This fellowship will provide structured mentorship and training in clinical and translational research with a specific focus on skeletal muscle function under stress. Training will emphasize critical evaluation of the literature, clinical trial design and management, rigorous data analysis, and scientific writing for peer‑reviewed publications and extramural funding applications. The fellow will develop advanced expertise in the assessment of muscle metabolism using stable‑isotope tracer methodologies, and in evaluating how targeted dietary interventions (e.g., protein and amino acids), pharmacologic agents, and exercise countermeasures influence muscle adaptation to stress. As a core component of the fellowship, the fellow will analyze existing datasets and conduct secondary analyses from ongoing or completed studies to generate publications and support competitive funding and collaborative research efforts aimed at preserving and enhancing muscle performance in extreme environments.
Major Responsibilities
Design and conduct research on human subjects to investigate physiological mechanisms underlying performance, resilience, and recovery in response to exercise, nutrition, and environmental stressors.
Develop and evaluate multidisciplinary interventions aimed at optimizing human performance, reducing injury risk, and mitigating physiological deconditioning.
Collect, manage, and analyze complex datasets using appropriate statistical and analytical software.
Prepare high-quality manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Contribute to the development of competitive grant proposals for external funding from agencies such as the NIH, DoD, and NASA.
Mentor and supervise students and research staff, fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and productive research environment.
Required Qualifications
PhD in Nutritional Sciences, Physiology, Kinesiology, Biomedical Sciences, Exercise Science, or a related field.
Two (2) or more years of research experience in nutrition, metabolism, exercise physiology, or clinical research.
Demonstrated expertise in human clinical research design and execution.
Strong foundational knowledge of muscle physiology, e.g., protein turnover, molecular biology, biomedical imaging, and physiological responses to exercise, nutrition, and environmental stress.
History of independent and collaborative research, with a minimum of five peer-reviewed academic publications.
Proven experience with human subject research, including compliance with Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocols.
Proficiency in experimental design, data collection, and statistical analysis.
Excellent scientific writing and communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
Expertise in stable isotope methodologies; amino acid metabolism; dietary protein research; foundational molecular biology and protein analysis techniques; and multi-omics approaches.
Experience conducting research in extreme environments relevant to military operations or spaceflight is highly desirable.
Pennington Biomedical Research Center seeks to recruit a highly productive workforce with a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives and will provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and prospective employees. Employment decisions shall be based strictly on merit and without regard to religious or political beliefs, sex, race, or any other non-merit factor
None
Interested candidates should include a curriculum vitae and a statement of research interests (one or two pages).
Official transcripts are required prior to hire and are not required at the time of application.
May 22, 2026
June 30, 2026
Pennington Biomedical is located within state-of-the-art research facilities on a 222-acre campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana For more information, visit PBRC
Questions regarding career opportunities at Pennington Biomedical should be sent to hrm@pbrc.edu
Background Check - An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check.
Benefits - Pennington Biomedical Research Center offers outstanding benefits to eligible employees and their dependents including health, life, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement options; various leave options; paid holidays; wellness benefits; tuition exemption for qualified positions; training and development opportunities; employee discounts; and more!
Positions approved to work outside the State of Louisiana shall be employed through Louisiana State University’s partner, nextSource Workforce Solutions, for Employer of Record Services including but not limited to employment, benefits, payroll, and tax compliance. Positions employed through Employer of Record Services will be offered benefits and retirement as applicable through their provider and will not be eligible for State of Louisiana benefits and retirement.
Questions or concerns can be directed to PBRC Human Resources at 225-763-2776 or hrm@pbrc.edu
