Postdoctoral positions in aging with focus on spatial omics

We have 1-2 postdoctoral openings to study cellular senescence in mammalian tissues.  Our goal is to comprehensively identify and characterize senescent cells that accumulate with age and negatively impact neighboring tissues and to guide the targeted removal by senolytics and immune-mediated approaches to improve healthspan and lifespan.  We focus on using spatial multi-omics approaches because senescence phenotype and mechanisms are complex and heterogeneous in various tissues and cells.  As a part of an NIH funded SenNet program, the Gu lab develops and uses non-targeted (or global) spatial transcriptomic and proteomic assays with single-cell and subcellular resolution (ref 1).  We use an integrative approach including 1) Pixel-seq (ref 2) of both RNAs and proteins on the same tissue, 2) combinatorial mini-binder libraries (e.g., nanobodies; refs 3) for non-targeted spatial profiling of tissue epitopes and age-associated changes, and 3) mass spectrometry for identifying proteoform changes.  Successful candidates will have opportunities to learn cutting-edge technologies, generate novel clinically relevant data, and lead assay development and/or data analysis in an interdisciplinary team comprising multiple labs from the UW Biochemistry, Genome Sciences, and Pathology departments and collaborators in the SenNet Consortium.

References:

1.     NIH SenNet Consortium to map senescent cells throughout the human lifespan to understand physiological health, Nature Aging, 2022, 2, 1090

2.     Polony gels enable amplifiable DNA stamping and spatial transcriptomics of chronic pain. Cell, 2022, 185, 4621

3.     3a) NaLi-H1: A universal synthetic library of humanized nanobodies providing highly functional antibodies and intrabodies. eLife, 2016, 5, e16228, 132; 3b) COMBINES-CID: An Efficient Method for De Novo Engineering of Highly Specific Chemically Induced Protein Dimerization Systems. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2019, 141, 10948

Requirements:

Applicants should have a Ph.D. degree in related fields including, but not limited to biochemistry, genetics, bioinformatics, pharmacology, bioinformatics, pathology, and gerontology.  Desirable backgrounds/skills include:

i)                spatial transcriptomics

ii)               mass spectrometry

iii)              bioinformatics

iv)              protein engineering using high-throughput screening such as phage display

v)               IHC and FISH

vi)              research in aging, kidney, and pancreas

Applicants should have a strong publication record, good spoken and written communication skills.  Interested applicants should send i) a cover letter briefly describing your previous experience and future research interests/plans, ii) a curriculum vitae, and iii) contact information of three references to Dr. Liangcai Gu (gulc@uw.edu).

Salary:

The postdoctoral base salary is $65,508 effective on January 1, 2023, and will increase to $68,460 on January 1, 2024.  Employees will receive no less than a 2% increase on the anniversary date of their appointment.  UW provides an outstanding, comprehensive benefits package (https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/post-doctoral-scholars-and-fellows/).

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.