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Research Fellowship Opportunities | Overview

Postdoctoral Position in Microfluidics, Organoid Biology, and Gene & Cell Therapy Research at the Koehler Lab

The Koehler Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School is at the forefront of developing and refining organoid-based systems to study sensory organ development, disease modeling, and therapeutic applications. Our lab has pioneered two first-of-their-kind organoid models—hair-bearing skin organoids and multi-lineage inner ear organoids—and developed custom microfluidic systems to support their long-term growth, maturation, and continuous imaging.

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We are seeking a talented and motivated postdoctoral scientist with a Ph.D. in bioengineering, stem cell biology, or related fields and 0–4 years of postdoctoral experience. This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of basic biology, engineering, and translational science. The successful candidate will contribute to designing and improving in vitro systems for testing gene and cell therapies. 

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead efforts to optimize microfluidic platforms for organoid-on-chip models, enhancing tissue structure, function, and compatibility with therapeutic testing.
  • Advance the development of long-term culture systems with integrated imaging capabilities to track real-time organoid growth and response to interventions.
  • Collaborate on translational research projects to evaluate gene and cell therapies using skin and inner ear organoid models.
  • Conduct stem cell differentiation and extensive mammalian cell culture, focusing on generating high-quality organoids.
  • Utilize live-cell imaging, confocal microscopy, and quantitative transcriptomic approaches to assess organoid functionality and maturation.
  • Mentor graduate students and research assistants and foster an interdisciplinary research environment.

Qualifications

  • PhD in bioengineering, stem cell biology, developmental biology, or a related discipline.
  • Expertise in microfluidics, live-cell imaging, and organoid culture systems.
  • Extensive experience with mammalian cell culture, especially pluripotent stem cell differentiation protocols.
  • Familiarity with advanced imaging and computational tools for biological analysis.
  • Proven track record of scientific innovation, demonstrated by first-author publications in high-impact journals.
  • Strong interdisciplinary skills bridging biology, engineering, and translational science.

About the Lab

The Koehler Lab is uniquely positioned to design next-generation in vitro systems for therapeutic testing. Our custom microfluidic platforms allow for the long-term culture of complex tissues while enabling real-time monitoring and imaging. We are dedicated to advancing regenerative therapies for congenital disorders and acquired sensory organ dysfunctions. This position will provide access to world-class facilities, including the HMS Microfabrication Core, Cellular Imaging Core, and advanced microscopy resources.

Opportunities

This role offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage in groundbreaking research at the interface of fundamental biology, engineering innovation, and translational medicine. The postdoctoral scientist will be part of an interdisciplinary team driving impactful research and collaborating with clinicians and leading investigators.

Application Instructions

To apply, please send the following to Dr. Karl Koehler at karl.koehler@childrens.harvard.edu:

  1. Cover letter summarizing your research experience and career goals
  2. Curriculum vitae, including a full publication list
  3. Contact information for three references

Postdoctoral Fellow: The Julia Li Lab

The Julia Li Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School is seeking a postdoctoral candidate who shares our passion in solving the key questions surrounding this previously missing link between repeat DNA, genome stability, and viruses. While we welcome any area of expertise in the biological sciences, the ideal candidate will have a strong background in cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, microscopy, virology, and cancer genomics. 

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Our lab focuses on how virus-like repeat sequences pose a threat to genome stability, yet contribute to normal genome structure and function. Half of our genome consists of repeat sequences that resemble viral DNA, yet the functional significant of these virus-like repeats remains a mystery. Abnormal repeat sequences have been found at unstable genomic regions implicated in cancer and genome diseases. However, how repeat sequences threaten the stability of our genome is not well understood. Finally, DNA viruses detected in cancer cells are also prime suspects in promoting genomic instability. For decades, these unsolved, seemingly connected observations pointed towards a missing mechanism. By observing two fluorescent nuclear signals of the Epstein Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen 1 (EBNA1), we found this missing piece to the puzzle: a cluster of Epstein Bar Virus (EBV)-like repeat sequences in our genome that can break and trigger chromosomal abnormalities in cells infected with EBV. This cluster of virus-like repeats, with no known mechanisms or function, provides an unprecedented opportunity to investigate site-specific breakage at endogenous repeats, induced by a viral protein expressed in more than 95% of the human population.

The overall goal of our lab is to uncover the missing mechanistic link between DNA repeats, genome stability, and viruses that involves binding of a viral protein to virus-like repeat sequences and its role in both health and disease. Specifically, we employ advanced techniques in molecular biology, cell biology, single cell analysis, microscopy, genome-wide sequencing, unbiased proteomics, and functional genomics to answer the following questions:

  1. How does protein binding to virus-like DNA repeat sequences lead to breakage of DNA?
  2. What is the role of virus-induced chromosomal breakage in cancer and genetic diseases?
  3. What pathological conditions trigger breakage in viral infection?
  4. What is the role of virus-like DNA repeat sequences in normal genome structure and function?

In the long run, we are excited about potentially uncovering a class of viral proteins that play a role in human health and disease by binding to virus-like repeat sequences in our genome. Ultimately, understanding basic mechanisms surrounding virus-like repeat sequences will create new opportunities for the prevention and treatment of viral infection-associated cancer and genetic diseases.

We invite you to learn more about our work at thejulialilab.com.

To apply, please contact Julia Li at Julia.li@childrens.harvard.edu.

Postdoctoral Fellow: CardioEngineering

We are seeking a motivated candidate to join our interdisciplinary team as a Cardiac Surgery Postdoctoral Fellow, under mentorship of co-PIs Peter Hammer, PhD (senior engineer), and David Hoganson, MD (pediatric cardiac surgeon).

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The primary role is to grow our library of cardiovascular tissue mechanical properties and incorporate it into our workflows for quantitative surgical planning. Specific responsibilities include coordinating with OR staff to acquire tissue samples, maintaining the soft tissue inventory, conducting biaxial mechanical testing on specimens acquired from the operating room (e.g., explanted vascular and valvular tissues, commercial patch materials, etc.), and analyzing/preparing data for written and oral presentation. This role will support ongoing projects related to preoperative valve and vascular patch planning. Additional opportunities are available to perform computational modeling and benchtop experiments to answer clinically relevant research questions. Previous projects have included in-vitro and ex-vivo testing of new heart valve repair techniques and surgical devices, in-vitro flow loop evaluation of RVOT and pulmonary artery therapies, and characterization of cardiovascular patch strength and failure modes.

Preferred Qualifications

  • PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or related discipline
  • Experience with mechanical testing for soft tissues (e.g. uniaxial, biaxial, inflation setups)
  • Expertise in continuum mechanics, including fitting of material models for soft tissues
  • Expertise in design and verification of finite element models
  • Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with both medical and engineering personnel

About the CardioEngineering Team

We are a group of engineers, surgeons, and cardiologists working to improve patient-specific surgical planning within the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Boston Children's Hospital. Presently, several members of the team perform virtual modeling and simulation as a clinical service for the department, while others conduct research to:

  1. Develop surgical planning tools for more complex cases
  2. Design new medical devices
  3. Retrospectively link surgical decisions to clinical outcomes

How to Apply

Please send a cover letter and CV to shannen.kizilski@childrens.harvard.edu.

Location

Onsite at Enders Research Building, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Quantitative Developmental Gene Regulation

The Naqvi Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School is looking for a highly motivated and driven Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work on projects studying cell type-specific effects of transcription factor dosage during development.

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About the lab

We combine functional genomics and computational modeling using stem cell-derived in vitro models of development to understand the quantitative control of gene expression in development. A major focus of the lab is addressing these questions in the context of the human neural crest, an embryonic cell population that gives rise to a fascinating array of cell types including the craniofacial skeleton and the enteric nervous system.

What we are looking for

The successful candidate will utilize genome editing, chemical genetics, functional genomics, and stem cell-derived models to understand why and how quantitative changes in transcription factor dosage have cell type-specific effects. Projects include studying neural crest in both craniofacial and enteric nervous system development, as well as additional lineages with transcription factor dosage sensitivity. This candidate will also incorporate cutting-edge deep learning models or collaborate with others to do so. In addition to research, this position entails training and mentoring of other lab members as well as general laboratory maintenance.

What we offer

As a new lab, we are looking to welcome new members to help build a welcoming, inclusive, and intellectually engaging environment for training and mentoring. The candidate will have opportunities to set the direction of research in the lab and be involved in grant writing, all excellent training for a variety of subsequent careers. The candidate will also present their work and obtain feedback from seminars in the Division of Gastroenterology, with the ability to interact more broadly in the intellectually stimulating scientific ecosystems of Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Additional professional development opportunities, including conference and seminar attendance, will also be provided.

Requirements

  • PhD, MD, or equivalent degree in Molecular Biology, Developmental Biology, or related field, anticipated to be completed by this position’s start date
  • A record of peer-reviewed publications and research presentations
  • Proficiency in general wet lab techniques
  • Prior experience in one or more of these areas is highly desired: human stem cell culture and differentiation, genome editing, generation and/or analysis of functional genomic datasets, pooled screening approaches

To apply, email Dr. Sahin Naqvi at sahin.naqvi@childrens.harvard.edu with:

  1. Your Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  2. A description of your scientific interests in relation to the lab’s focus and a brief summary of your graduate research accomplishments
  3. Contact information for three references

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. For more information, visit naqvilab.org or contact Dr. Naqvi with questions about the position.

Postdoctoral Fellow: Megakaryocyte/Neutrophil Interactions (Emperipolesis)

The Nigrovic lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to spearhead studies exploring the immune role of megakaryocytes, including via emperipolesis, a new form of cell-in-cell interaction between megakaryocytes and neutrophils.

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This work will build on our observation that megakaryocytes contribute to systemic inflammatory disease, even independent of their platelets (J Clin Invest. 2017:1714-1724; J Leuk Biol 2019;105:1111-1121). Using tools including 2-photon microscopy, we seek to understand how megakaryocytes function as immune cells through their surface receptors, soluble mediators, and microparticles. We seek to deepen our understanding of emperipolesis, whereby neutrophils penetrate into the megakaryocyte cytoplasm to pass surface membrane to platelets before leaving intact (eLife 2019;8:e440312019; Blood Adv. 2022;6:2081-2091). We will explore the cell biology of emperipolesis as well as its implications for the function of megakaryocytes, neutrophils, and platelets.

Applicants should have a PhD (or MD with substantial laboratory experience) related to cellular and immune biology. Specific megakaryocyte, platelet, and/or neutrophil experience, and/or 2-photon microscopy experience, is helpful but not required.

The Nigrovic lab is a basic and translational research group based in the Division of Immunology at Boston Children’s Hospital. Funding is provided by NIH R01 grants and other sources. Human samples are available. Successful applicants will have a track record of productivity that confirms their ability to work independently at a high level in a friendly, collegial, and supportive but demanding environment. Potential for partial self-funding is welcome but not essential.

Inquiries and applications (including CV, name/email address of 2-3 referees, and reprints of 2 most significant publications) should be directed to:

Peter A. Nigrovic, MD
Chief, Division of Immunology, Boston Children’s Hospital
Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Peter.nigrovic@childrens.harvard.edu

Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Sampson Lab

The focus of the Sampson Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School is to discover the molecular basis of nephrotic syndrome through human genomics to inform mechanisms, treatments, and cures for this disease.

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We integrate genomics data with other molecular and clinical datasets to discover the biological and clinical impact of the disease-associated genomic variants we discover. We also focus on using large Biobanks to empower genomic discovery for NS. Finally, we are also using new technologies and developing analytic strategies to make definitive genomic diagnoses for patients. We now seek an intellectually curious and independent thinking post-doctoral fellow to drive forward projects in one or more of these broad research areas.

Specific projects available include:

  • GWAS and blood and kidney eQTL/pQTL studies of immunosuppressive sensitive NS
  • Genomic and single cell multiomic analysis of APOL1 mediated kidney disease
  • Transcriptome-driven genetic diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome
  • Nephrotic syndrome discovery using population- and hospital-based Biobanks

We are most interested in applicants with excellent skills in biostatistics, as well as a strong understanding of human genetics, bioinformatics, and/or genome biology. They will use both well-established and newer methods for analysis of diverse types of genomic data, including genome and exome sequencing, and bulk and single cell transcriptomics. They will drive their own projects and also support the efforts of other members of the group.

The Sampson Lab is located at Boston Children’s Hospital and is affiliated with Harvard Medical School, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and Brigham & Women’s Hospital. It is well-funded through multiple Federal grants and other resources. It is a vibrant, highly collaborative, and multidisciplinary environment made up of nephrologists, computational geneticists, biostatisticians, and epidemiologists, and bench researchers.

Responsibilities:

  • Designing, troubleshooting, and analysis of diverse genomic discovery efforts using our own genomic & phenotypic data & those aggregated from publicly available resources
  • Independent thinking and decision making related to study design and analysis
  • Demonstrate attention to detail and problem-solving skills
  • Excellent communication with external collaborators
  • Preparation of manuscripts, grants, and presentations

Minimum qualifications:

  • PhD in biostatistics, biocomputing/bioinformatics, genetics/genomics, or a related field
  • Experience in any of the following: GWAS, eQTL, single cell analysis, human genetics/genomics, variant calling, rare diseases
  • Strong communication skills (writing and presenting)
  • Programming experience in UNIX, R, and/or Python
  • Familiarity with high-performance and/or cloud computing
  • Evidence of prior publication(s) and conference/oral presentations
  • Excellence in collaborating and interacting with others

Preferred qualifications:

  • Working with bioinformatics analysis pipelines, code version control (e.g., git) tools and/or experience with standard bioinformatic tools (e.g., samtools, PLINK, bedtools)
  • Familiarity with reproducible data science using Jupyter Notebook or RMarkdown or other
  • An understanding of biological systems

Interested candidates should send a cover letter & CV to matthew.sampson@childrens.harvard.edu.

Matt Sampson, MD MSCE ASCI
Warren E. Grupe Chair in Pediatric Nephrology, Boston Children’s Hospital
Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Associate Member, Broad Institute
Research Faculty, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

Postdoctoral Fellow: Osterweil Lab

The Osterweil lab is recruiting a motivated individual to fill a postdoctoral position in molecular neuroscience. You will be joining the exciting, fast-paced environment at Boston Children’s Hospital/ Harvard Medical School investigating cell type-specific mRNA translation in neural function and dysfunction.

Learn more about the position

Our group has a number of hypothesis-driven projects that are aimed at identifying critical mechanisms in neural plasticity, and determining how these processes go awry in neurodevelopmental disorders such as fragile X syndrome. We are using molecular approaches including TRAP-seq, scRNA-seq, and spatial transcriptomics, and combining these with electrophysiological and behavioral assays to answer research questions and test potential therapeutic approaches that arise from this work. We are also employing new models to determine the conservation of synaptic mechanisms between mouse and human.

Candidates must have a PhD in neuroscience, cell biology, or a related field, and show evidence of good productivity in the form of publications. Experience with either molecular neuroscience and mouse brain surgical techniques, or RNA-seq and bioinformatics, is greatly preferred.

Please send a CV, cover letter with statement of interest, and 2-3 letters of references to: Emily.osterweil@childrens.harvard.edu. Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate is found.

Boston Children’s Hospital is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status or disability.

Boston Children’s Hospital requires all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and Flu, (unless you are eligible for a medical or religious exemption).

Postdoctoral Fellowship: Department of Cardiac Surgery

A postdoctoral fellow position is open for a highly creative and motivated applicant who has an interest in cardiovascular biomechanics and computational modeling within the cardio-engineering group at the Department of Cardiac Surgery. We are dedicated toward developing advanced computational modeling methods integrated with experimental approaches in cardiovascular biomechanics to improve diagnostic, surgical predictability, and personalization. The candidate will work with a multidisciplinary team of engineers, cardiac surgeons, and cardiologists to achieve this goal.

Learn more about the position

Working primarily with Dr. Vijay Govindarajan, the post-doctoral fellow will conduct research in the field of heart valves and thrombosis using various computational methods, including non-linear finite element modeling and computational fluid dynamics. The post-doctoral fellow will also collaborate with other researchers in the group to develop experimental approaches for validating these computational models. Ultimately, these modeling frameworks will be used in both research and integrated into clinical workflows, aiming to enhance surgical predictability and personalization.

Qualifications necessary for the position are as follows:

  • A doctoral degree completed or pending in Mechanical/Biomedical Engineering or a closely related field.
  • Keen interest in cardiovascular biomechanics
  • Strong background in finite element methods and computational fluid dynamics.
  • Experience with developing patient-specific models and utilizing them to gain clinical insights.
  • Demonstrated ability to write user defined functions and subroutines to extend modeling capabilities.
  • Keen to collaborate with fellow engineers, surgeons, and cardiologists toward understanding the problem and formulate an engineering-based approach to solve it.
  • A strong publication record.

Application Information

The application review process will start right away. Applications will be reviewed continuously.

Full-time position with competitive salary/benefits commensurate with experience. Candidate will work in fully funded projects for a minimum period of 3 years.

To apply, please submit a CV, a cover letter detailing research and career interests, motivation, and experience, to Vijay.govindarajan@childrens.harvard.edu. Please also include contact information of three references.

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Ebrahimi-Fakhari Lab

Research Focus: Cell Biology of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia - Functional Genomics & Drug Discovery

In the Ebrahimi-Fakhari lab, our mission is to use cutting-edge research techniques to understand and treat rare neurological disorders in children. Our goal is to build a translational research platform that can take discoveries from the bedside to the bench and back. Through our commitment to collaboration, mentorship, and scientific excellence, we strive to make a lasting impact on the patients we serve. We are recruiting Post-Doctoral Research Fellows to expand our work on high-throughput platforms for functional genomics screens and drug discovery in cellular and in vivo models of hereditary spastic paraplegia.

Learn more about the position

We are looking for talented trainees who are passionate about disease-oriented translational research. We are particularly interested in colleagues with a background in molecular biology, cell biology, neuroscience, gene editing and/or work with transgenic mouse lines.

Recent Work from Our Group

Pubmed

Qualifications

  • Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in Neurobiology, Cell Biology, Genomics or a related field.
  • Proficiency in data analysis.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.
  • While not required, applicants with experience in in vitro disease modeling in cell lines, primary cells and iPSC-derived neurons, in vivo disease modeling in transgenic mice, viral vectors, gene editing, immunocytochemistry and high-throughput microscopy, protein biochemistry, transcriptomics/proteomics and scientific programming languages are preferred.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Our lab embraces all kinds of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, disability, and religion. We're committed to ensuring everyone can succeed in their pursuit of the advancement of biomedical knowledge.

About Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Boston Children's Hospital is a global leader in pediatric healthcare. Affiliated with Harvard Medical School, we provide an unparalleled environment for scientific advancement, fostering collaboration and innovation in pursuit of improving children's health worldwide.

Application

Please submit the following documents to def.lab@childrens.harvard.edu.

  1. One-page cover letter outlining your research experience and listing three specific aims that you would consider working on with our group.
  2. Curriculum vitae (CV), including a list of publications.
  3. Contact information for three professional references.

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Systems Biology: Precision Vaccine Program (PVP)

The Data Management and Analysis Core (DMAC) within the Precision Vaccine Program (PVP) at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School (HMS) is actively seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow with expertise in systems biology. We are dedicated to advancing knowledge in the fields of infection and vaccination through cutting-edge research.

Learn more about the position

As a postdoctoral fellow, you will join a dynamic research environment focused on systems biology in infection and vaccination. Under the mentorship of Dr. Joann Arce, PhD, Instructor in Pediatrics at HMS and the lead of the PVP-DMAC, you will contribute to our overarching goals:

  • Identifying and characterizing molecular signatures using a systems immunology approach, encompassing systems biology approaches such as transcriptomics, proteomics, CyTOF and metabolomics.
  • Developing cloud computational infrastructure, integrating multi-omics datasets and applying machine learning methods to high dimensional omics datasets
  • Proficiency in cloud computing and data management, particularly for clinical and immunophenotyping data, in support of large consortia and multi-institutional collaborations within the U.S. and globally.
 

Qualifications:

  • A doctoral degree (PhD and/or MD) completed or pending in quantitative discipline (Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, etc.) is desired with interest in applying these skills to problems in Immunology.
  • A strong track record of productivity, as evidenced by first-authored publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
  • Proficiency in quantitative analysis and programming, preferably in R and Python.
  • Demonstrated ability to apply innovative experimental strategies to address biological questions.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, essential for contributing positively to a thriving intellectual environment.
 

Application Information:
Review of applications will commence immediately, and applications will be considered on a rolling basis. This is a full-time position with a competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience. To apply, interested candidates should email the following documents to Dr. Joann Arce at joann.arce@childrens.harvard.edu:

  • A curriculum vitae (CV) listing the names and contact information for at least two references.
  • A brief statement or cover letter detailing research interests, motivation, and experience (limited to approximately 1 page).
  • A publication, manuscript, or pre-print authored by the candidate.

Learn More About Us:
BCH Website: www.childrenshospital.org/research/departments/pediatrics-research/precision-vaccines-program
Twitter: @PrecVaccines; @JoannDArce; @EPICvaccines

Postdoctoral Fellow: Thiagarajah Lab

A postdoctoral fellow position is open for a highly creative and motivated applicant who has an interest in intestinal physiology and redox signaling in the Thiagarajah Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Experience in imaging or transport physiology and/or animal studies are highly desirable for this position.

Learn more about the position

Research in the lab aims to understand how cells sense and interact with their surroundings and how membrane channels and transporters contribute to innate immune function, development, and cellular metabolism. Projects in the lab use a variety of approaches and span several aspects of physiology, including both basic science and translational research connected to pediatric diseases. This position will involve investigating redox signaling within the GI tract and/or the role of age and diet on intestinal function. The research will use state-of-the art imaging in animal and cell model systems as well as 3D cultures and tissue. The applicant will also support other lab experiments in our group and will be expected to undertake projects with minimal supervision.

Required Qualifications:

  • The candidate must have a Ph.D. in a basic science. Experience in cell and molecular biology and imaging are highly desirable.
  • Experience in cell culture, and animal handling are also desirable.
  • Candidates should also have a track record of productive research and publications, as well as excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • The candidate must be able to work independently as well as collaboratively with other lab members.

Required Application Materials:

  • CV
  • Cover letter, including a brief statement of research interests and career goals and interest in the lab
  • Contact information for three references

Please send directly to jay.thiagarajah@childrens.harvard.edu.

Postdoctoral Research Fellows: Immunology/Vaccinology

Adjuvant Discovery and Development Laboratory, Precision Vaccine Program, Boston Children’s Hospital.

There are two postdoctoral research fellowships available in the laboratory of Dr. David Dowling, within the Precision Vaccines Program (PVP) of Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The PVP is a multidisciplinary research initiative founded in 2016, Directed Dr. Ofer Levy.

Learn more about the position

Within the Dowling Lab, our goal is to unravel the molecular mechanisms that underlie distinct immune responses of vulnerable human populations (e.g., the young, elderly, metabolic disorders or immunocompromised) and apply our discoveries to adjuvant and vaccine innovation, discovery and development. Our approach combines age- and species- specific screens with a focus on functional, biochemical, and systems immunology readouts in relevant in vitro and in vivo model systems. Furthermore, our scope also includes translating our research towards Phase I human clinical trials of novel and investigational vaccines.

Specifically, Postdoctoral Research Fellows will lead projects related to adjuvant discovery development, in vitro and in vivo modeling, overseeing adjuvant medicinal chemistry, formulation, and novel delivery systems of vaccines. Approaches have an option to expand into use of systems vaccinology, in vivo modeling utilizing non-human primates, overseeing vaccine formulation toxicology, IND-enabling activities and contributing to Phase I clinical trials.

These positions are largely funded by NIH/NIAID grants and contracts, philanthropic funding and supplemented by sponsored agreements with pharmaceutical companies.

Qualifications:

  • You must hold (or be near completion of) a degree at the doctoral-level (PhD and/or MD), and have a strong track record of productivity, or domain expertise, as evidenced by first-authored publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals/preprints or demonstrated contribution to ongoing projects.
  • The ideal candidate(s) will have a track record of applying innovative experimental strategies to tackle important biologic problems, together with the communication and interpersonal skills required to make a positive contribution to a thriving intellectual environment.
  • Experience of maintaining professional and collaborative communications with a focus on team science and some willingness to contribute to project management is a plus.
  • Experience with using animal models, such as mice (primary), rat, pig, human primates is a plus, but not required.
  • Experience of human in vitro modeling, such as Dendritic Cell, T-cell evaluation is a plus, but not required.
  • Prior experience in studying distinct human populations that vary by age, sex, underlying disease, neuro-immune
    interphase, substance use disorders, or other demographic features is preferred.

Application Information:

  • Review of applications will begin immediately. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
  • Full-time position with competitive salary/benefits commensurate with experience. The position(s) is/are fully
    funded and may be held for up to 5 years.
  • To apply, please email Dr. David Dowling, with cc to Mr. Ahsan Saeed with the following documents:
    • An updated curriculum vitae (CV).
    • A brief statement or cover letter of research interests, motivation, and experience; or publication/manuscript/pre-print the candidate has written.

Learn More About Us!

PVP Website: bit.ly/PrecVaccines / Twitter: @PrecVaccines / Twitter: @David_J_Dowling

The position will offer multiple opportunities for leading scientific papers, collaborating with clinicians and research faculty on multidisciplinary projects, and gaining experience in community engaged research through interaction with our established community advisory board.

The fellow will be responsible for:

  • Designing health services and implementation science studies, analyzing data, and interpreting and communicating results via refereed publications and presentations at internal and external meetings and conferences.
  • Conducting literature reviews and prepare IRB protocols and other regulatory documents as needed.
  • Assisting in writing grant and other funding applications as appropriate.
  • Work closely with practicing clinicians and researchers at BCH and other collaborating institutions and may supervise other research staff.
  • Other duties may include occasional teaching at the department level and mentoring students, residents, and fellows.

Positions are temporary appointments as a research trainee. The initial appointment is for one year, renewal is possible if progress is satisfactory and funds are available.

Minimum Qualifications: A doctoral degree or equivalent (Ph.D., M.D., ScD., etc.) in an appropriate field. Excellent scientific writing ability and strong oral communication skills. The ability to work effectively and collegially with colleagues. Qualified candidates should submit a letter of interest, CV, and contact information for three references to Dr. Catherine Brownstein at Catherine.Brownstein@childrens.harvard.edu.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience and interest in women’s health and health disparities
  • Expertise in data management and analysis using SAS, R, Stata, or other statistical software
  • Proficient in survey design, implementation, and analysis
  • Background in clinical research/ intervention studies, including familiarity with data abstraction and electronic medical records
  • Strong scientific writing and oral communication skills
  • Experience in spatial analysis and multi‐level modeling (preferred)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Division of Genetics and Genomics

The Gussoni laboratory seeks a highly motivated post-doctoral research fellow to study gene networks that regulate skeletal muscle stem cell activation. The goal is to effectively use these networks for tissue regeneration and cell-based therapy.

Learn more about the position

Actively funded projects:

  1. Tetraspanin CD82 in muscle stem cell quiescence and differentiation
  2. Epigenetic dysregulation of muscle differentiation in Kabuki syndrome
  3. Overexpression of CD82 to improve dystrophic myofiber stability.

All projects will involve studies of human and mouse muscle stem cells and with live animals. The candidate should have experience in basic methods of biochemistry, tissue culture, cell sorting, molecular biology and general histology.

Requirements:

  • Ph.D. degree in Biology, Biochemistry or Molecular Biology
  • Experience in muscle biology and epigenetics preferred
  • Strong publication record
  • Collaborative spirit and team building skills

To apply, please submit a CV, a cover letter and contact information of three references to Dr. Emanuela Gussoni at emanuela.gussoni@enders.tch.harvard.edu.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Dietlein Lab

The Dietlein Lab at Harvard Medical School is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral research fellow in computational cancer genomics. Our projects span the entire range of data-driven precision medicine – from decoding fundamental principles of tumor development to applications of sequencing technologies in patient care and genome-inspired drug design.

Learn more about the position

A specific focus of our lab are new bioinformatics tools to discover oncogenic mutations in cancer genomes. We are primarily affiliated with the Informatics Program at Boston Children’s (CHIP), the Broad Institute, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Harvard Medical School. They provide an ideal environment for exceptional creativity and thriving to your fullest potential.

About our research:

Recent highlights include:

  • We developed one of the first algorithms to discover noncoding drivers in cancer genomes (Science 2022; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35389777/).
  • We established a comprehensive resource of coding drivers in 11,873 patients (Nature Genetics 2020; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32015527/).
  • We created a platform for designing driver-directed combination therapies (Cell 2015; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26140595/).
  • Additional recent research highlights in Cancer Discovery, Nature Cancer, Nature Biotech, PNAS, and JNM: https://www.dietleinlab.org/publications

About our training philosophy:

We are dedicated to training the next generation of exceptional scientists, and it is at the heart of our mission that you thrive to the next career level. This includes guidance to establish a strong funding and publication record and dedicated mentorship for your personal career development.

With your start in our lab, we tailor a training plan to your specific strengths and needs, develop actionable teaching goals, and identify potential co-mentors and required resources. Our teaching includes weekly meetings, peer mentorship, and a joint seminar series. Besides a stellar scientific training environment and outstanding access to data and infrastructure resources, we provide our trainees with plenty of opportunities for their personal growth, including career development classes, attending national and international conferences, and dedicated time for planning the next steps in science, academia, and beyond.

All projects in our lab have immediate potential for clinical translational, but we realize that it requires a long way from computer science to clinics. We consider mutual respect and open communication the glue that holds our lab together. Our regular social gatherings build team spirit, and town hall meetings identify issues we can work on together. We know that cancer is a complicated puzzle, and we thrive on collaboration, collegiality, and data sharing. We have an excellent record of our mentees going to top-tier schools (Stanford, Dartmouth, MSKCC).

Requirements

  • Strong publication record (at least one first authorship required)
  • Strong programming experience, preferably in Python, R, Java, C++, or Matlab.
  • Strong quantitative skills in statistics, data science, or machine learning
  • Independent funding record (preferred but not required)
  • Highly motivated and able to work as part of a larger multidisciplinary team
  • MD, PhD, or equivalent. If your expected graduation is within the next 6-12 months, please apply before your graduation. Applicants with a bachelor’s are encouraged to inquire about computational staff positions.
  • Priority will be given to candidates with research experience in genetics or cancer. Candidates from other fields or diseases should provide a strong rationale for seeking training in a cancer research lab.

How to apply

Applicants should submit a cover letter, CV, and publication record to Felix Dietlein at felix.dietlein@childrens.harvard.edu. You are also encouraged to include pdfs of up to 3 publications and contacts or letters of up to 3 references.

Postdoctoral Fellowship: Division of Developmental Medicine

The Brazelton Touchpoints Center (BTC) in the Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, offers a one-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Early Childhood Translational and Applied Research. The fellowship may be renewable for a second year.

Learn more about the position

The nature of our work aligns with the philosophy of BTC and the goals of the Division of Developmental Medicine. Our overall aim is to increase knowledge and experience related to diversity in the context of relational community research and evaluation. The aim of the Research and Evaluation Unit is to emphasize the latest practice and applied research techniques with demonstrated efficacy, consider community-level scaling, integrate a developmental perspective, and support ethical, collegial, and responsible applied research practice that includes and goes beyond community participatory research.

This position provides the Postdoctoral Fellow access to a wide array of evaluation and research projects that are currently active at BTC. The studies vary in their specific objectives but share the common goal of bridging research and practice in the field of childhood and adolescence with attention to promoting child wellbeing and positive parent-child relationships in the face of various adversities. Most studies focus on determining the effects of interventions on early childhood direct service providers, families, and children. Some investigations examine the role of multiple community-level interventions in the lives of vulnerable families. Others explore the impact of trauma and adversity (e.g., child abuse and neglect, poverty, family conflict) on children’s development, and the role of risk and protective factors in program outcomes. A second key role for the BTC Postdoctoral Fellow is to support the synthesis of applied research in the field.

The BTC Postdoctoral Fellow will work with several teams of researchers to participate in research on interventions with young children and families. Opportunities may include work with early care and education, dual-generation early childhood programs (e.g., Head Start, Early Head Start, Indigenous two–gen programs), child welfare, pediatric health care (including medicine and nursing), home visiting, and other early childhood programs in each community. In addition, postdoctoral research will focus on translating and applying knowledge on parent, family, and community engagement, as well as young children (prenatal to age eight) and families living with adversity. The Postdoctoral Fellow will also receive training in the Touchpoints model and have the option to work with trainers to craft and implement professional development offerings.

BTC has a strong commitment to working with communities and people that have been injured or underserved, including Native American, Hispanic, African-American, and Arab communities. Currently, the Center is collaborating on multiple major projects with tribal nations or their representatives, Latine families, African-American families, and Arab families.

The fellowship will provide opportunities to work with other members of the Research and Evaluation Unit at BTC on funded projects, design and develop surveys and other measures, create systems for data management and analysis, assist in the development of a system for continuous quality improvement, engage in complex analytic assessment, and contribute to reporting for other researchers as well as practitioners.

The BTC Postdoctoral Fellows will extend their expertise to the use of multiple analytic strategies (both quantitative and qualitative) to examine data from existing projects, contribute to the development and design of new research projects, participate in a program of grant writing, develop presentations for scientific conferences, write evaluation reports, and contribute to papers submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Eligibility:
Candidate must hold a PhD/EdD, or dissertation submitted in psychology, child development, or a related degree with some emphasis on early childhood or childhood and adolescence. Spanish language skills are a plus. BTC actively encourages applications from women and members of historically underrepresented groups. Interest in and work with Native American communities a plus. VISA sponsorship cannot be offered at this time. The post-doctoral fellowship currently has rolling admission with start dates between December-January or July-September each year.

How to Apply:
Interested applicants should complete the Boston Children’s Hospital Postdoctoral Fellowship application (“Application for Postdoctoral Psychology Fellowship”) and send the completed application, letter of interest, curriculum vitae, three letters of reference, any first-author publications (or publications in which the candidate took a primary role), and a one-page cover letter describing career goals, research interests, and certified transcript of doctoral work to Dr. Catherine C. Ayoub, Director of Research and Evaluation, Brazelton Touchpoints Center, 1295 Boylston, Suite 320, Boston, MA, 02215 or to both email addresses below.

To find out more, please contact Catherine C. Ayoub, RN, EdD,  at Catherine.Ayoub@childrens.harvard.edu and Elisa Vele, PhD, at Elisa.Vele@childrens.harvard.edu.

Please note that this is an open fellowship. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Boston Children’s Hospital is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status or disability.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Access Statement
At the Brazelton Touchpoint center, we are dedicated to creating a lasting community in which equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging, and access thrive. We engage in reflective practices to enhance equitable processes and outcomes, and to reduce bias — including our own. At BTC, we come alongside and learn with the infants, children, families, and communities that we have the honor of working with. While we still have much work to do, we see the path to racial equity and justice as a journey — one that we have wholeheartedly embarked on. BTC is committed to creating equitable and inclusive learning and growth opportunities through collaborative, strengths-based, culturally affirming approaches within our own organization and in our partnerships with all others.

Postdoctoral Position: Cardiovascular Genomics and Regeneration

A postdoc position is available in the lab of Dr. Miao Cui in Boston Children’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School to study genomic control mechanisms of heart regeneration and pathological remodeling. 

Learn more about the position

Dr. Cui has a joint position as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and the Department of Cardiology at Boston Children’s Hospital. The lab is located at the center of Harvard Longwood Medical Campus, immersed in a highly interactive and collaborative scientific environment. Dr. Cui obtained her PhD from California Institute of Technology in the lab of Dr. Eric Davidson and Postdoctoral training at UT Southwestern mentored by Dr. Eric Olson. Her research on cardiac regeneration and disease led to several high-profile publications onDevelopmental Cell, Nature Communications, PNAS,Nature Medicine, Science Translational Medicine, and Cell Reports.

Research Summary: Adult mammalian hearts lack the ability to regenerate, and instead, respond to injury with maladaptive remodeling that leads to heart failure. In contrast, the newborn mouse heart can effectively regrow the damaged tissue. Understanding how neonatal mousehearts regenerate following injury provides an exciting new inroad into the possible mechanisms of cardiac regeneration and repair in adults. Our lab aims to use systems-level approaches to discover the basic biological mechanisms underlying neonatal heart regeneration. We leverage this information to identify therapeutic targets and translate these findings into studies of human cells and therapies for heart disease patients. We uncovered previously unknown cellular components specific to neonatal heart regeneration, filling gaps in our knowledge of new heart muscle cell sources during regeneration and advancing our understanding of the role of the cardiac microenvironment in tissue healing. We are currently exploring these novel cell populations, which we believe have the potential to open up new areas of research in regeneration and beyond. We are also taking systems biology approaches to identify factors and pathways that regulate various aspects of the regeneration process and using gene delivery approaches to explore their therapeutic potential for treating heart disease. Our research combines genetics, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, tissue 3D imaging, cardiac injury models in mice, high-throughput screening in primary cardiac cells and human heart organoids, as well as cardiac (patho)physiology. The long-term goal of our research program is to understand the mechanisms underlying the distinct reparative abilities of different cardiac cell types during neonatal heart regeneration vs. pathological remodeling in adults, and ultimately to generate a comprehensive cellular and molecular blueprint for targeting cardiac regeneration in adult humans.

The ideal candidate must hold a PhD and/or MD degree and have a background in molecular biology and mouse genetics with an interest in Genomics and Cardiovascular Biology. Candidates should be able to work independently and have demonstrated English verbal and writing skills. Interested individuals should send a CV, a statement of research interests, as well as the names and contact information for three references to Miao Cui, PhD.

 

Immediate opening for a postdoctoral research fellow in the lab of Dr. Denisa D. Wagner in the Program for Cellular and Molecular Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. See https://wagnerlab.dana-farber.org. Dr. Wagner’s lab focuses on innate immunity and thrombosis, and this individual may address, specifically, the function of deiminase 4 (PAD4), the enzyme directing NETosis and neutrophil inflammasome, in health and disease.

A first-author publication in a peer-reviewed international journal is a prerequisite for this position, and applicants must be US residents, have visas, or be able to obtain visas by September 2023. Submit letter of interest and curriculum vitae to Denisa D. Wagner, Ph.D., Edwin Cohn Professor of Pediatrics at .

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Labs of Cognitive Neuroscience: Nelson Lab

The Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, under the direction of Charles A. Nelson, PhD, seek several highly qualified postdoctoral scientists with an interest in neurodevelopment and expertise in early adversity. Postdocs will have the opportunity to engage in various studies, both domestic and international.

Learn more about the position

Eligible postdocs should have training in clinical or developmental psychology or developmental cognitive neuroscience and experience with young children. Ideal candidates will be highly motivated and independent scientists with the analytic/statistical skills to relate neuroimaging data to a wealth of existing and to-be-collected behavioral data (including developmental outcomes data and eye tracking data). Expertise in EEG methodology is preferred, including familiarity with EEG, evoked potentials, and event-related potentials. Prior programming experience is also preferred, with a strong preference for familiarity with MATLAB and/or Python programming environment and associated toolboxes (e.g., EEGLAB/ERPLAB, Fieldtrip, MNE-Python). Additional expectations include supervising and mentoring research coordinators/assistants and undergraduate students, extensive involvement in data processing and analysis, and correspondingly, involvement in manuscript preparation and grant writing.

A 2-year commitment is preferred. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Qualifications:

  1. Doctoral degree in clinical or developmental psychology, neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, with a history of research focused on neurodevelopment
  2. Experience conducting research with infants and/or children
  3. Excellent interpersonal, clinical, and research skills
  4. Experience with EEG/ERP

Application Information:

A complete application includes 1 copy of each of the following items (please include your full name on every page of your application):

  1. Letter of interest
  2. CV
  3. Names and contact information for three references

For consideration, please submit an application to Dr. Charles Nelson (charles_nelson@harvard.edu)

Postdoctoral Research Fellows: Immunology/Vaccinology

Full-time postdoctoral research fellow positions are available in Dongwon Lee's Laboratory. To learn more please visit our laboratory website at https://www.childrenshospital.org/dongwon-lee-lab

Learn more about the position

We study disease-associated genetic variants using computational approaches with a specific focus on transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. We have developed several machine-learning methods for the analysis of regulatory elements and regulatory variants (Lee et al., Nature Genetics 2015; Lee, Bioinformatics 2016; Lee et al., Genome Research 2018; Han et al., PNAS 2022). Our laboratory will continue to develop computational methods to model regulatory control of human diseases by incorporating improved machine-learning algorithms and single-cell multi-omic data (genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic). New computational frameworks will help discover the molecular mechanisms driving the development and progression of human diseases.

Requirements:

  1. The ideal applicant should have received a Ph.D. degree within 12 months or expect to do so within the following 12 months in computational biology, bioinformatics, bioengineering, biostatistics, computer science, or other related fields.

     

  2. Strong programming skills in Python, C/C++, R, or equivalent are required.

  3. Experience with Unix/Linux and working with large genetic and genomic data in a cluster-computing environment is highly preferred.

  4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills and a willingness to write grant proposals and manuscripts are necessary.

Interested candidates should send a CV and a cover letter to: dongwon.lee@childrens.harvard.edu

Postdoctoral Position: Biddinger Lab

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The Biddinger Lab is looking for basic biologists interested in applying their expertise to a clinical problem.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects more than 25% of the population, and can lead to liver cancer, cirrhosis and metabolic diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. However, the basic biology of this disorder remains an enigma and we still have no treatments. At the Biddinger lab, we are using Crispr screening, single nuclei sequencing, ChIP sequencing, mouse models, organoids, and stable isotope tracing to understand this disease. More information can be found at our website

Requirements: PhD in biological science or computation biology or related fields; excellent references; strong evidence of past productivity. We hope to recruit colleagues who like solving hard problems and being creative. We want cell and molecular biologists, microscopists, and computational biologists who can bring new perspectives to this problem; no previous experience in NAFLD is necessary.

Please send a CV and thoughts about how you could fit into our team to: biddingerlab@gmail.com.

Postdoctoral Fellow: Spatial Transcriptomics

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New Insights into Pain with Spatial Transcriptomics and MERFISH

Spatial transcriptomic techniques offer the revolutionary new ability to discover cell types and states while mapping their organization in a wide variety of tissues and, in turn, provide new biological insights from deep molecular profiles of in tact tissues. Join us to learn and extend this exciting new technology suite while providing new insights into nociception and chronic pain!

We are recruiting a postdoctoral fellow for in the Moffitt laboratory at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital to leverage multiplexed-error robust fluorescence in situ hybridization (MERFISH) to reveal new insights into the cellular and molecular structure of human nociception and chronic pain caused by neuromas. Working in collaboration with scientists at the Harvard PRECISION Human Pain Center—a new NIH-funded collaborative center that brings together scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Mass General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School—this postdoctoral fellow will apply MERFISH and other spatial transcriptomics technologies—Visium and Stereo-Seq—to discover, define, and chart the cell types and states associated with human nociception and their disorders in the context of chronic phantom limb pain associated neuromas. The postdoctoral fellow will be responsible for learning and applying both image-based and spatial-capture-based transcriptomic methods to human-derived neuroma samples; computationally co-embedding these data with data derived from other state-of-the-art single-cell methods, such as scRNA-seq and sc-ATAC-seq; and deriving novel biological insights from these data on the structure, origin, and physiology of nociception in human neuromas. Moreover, by joining the laboratory of Jeff Moffitt—a co-inventor of MERFISH—this postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to learn MERFISH in a laboratory of one of its developers, to develop novel experimental and computational extensions of this technique, and to contribute to a dynamic team of scientists that are both extending this technology in novel and exciting ways and leveraging it to reveal new biological insights in a wide array of systems.  The position is open now with a flexible start date.

Applicants should send a CV and the name of two references to jeffrey.moffitt@childrens.harvard.edu.

To learn more about the Moffitt laboratory visit: https://moffittlab.github.io.

To learn more about the Harvard Center for Pain research visit: https://healpain.bwh.harvard.edu/.

Requirements

  • A PhD in the natural sciences, including Molecular and Cell Biology, Neurobiology, Chemistry, Physics, or Bioengineering
  • Experience with programming languages such as Matlab, Python, or R
  • The ability to work well within teams
  • The willingness to learn and develop new technologies, learn new areas of biology, and contribute to a deeper understanding of human neurological disorders and disease

Beneficial skills (not required)

  • Experience with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), including techniques such as single-molecule FISH, RNAscope, or MERFISH
  • Microscopy and optics experience
  • High-performance computing experience and a familiarity with Linux
  • Experience with tissue preservation and sectioning, including sectioning of both fresh-frozen samples and paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed (FFPE) samples
  • Single-cell analysis experience, including software packages such as scanpy or Seurat
  • Experience in neurobiology or neuroscience

Boston Children’s Hospital and the Moffitt laboratory are equal opportunity employers, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy‐related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow: The Dietlein Lab

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Summary

The Dietlein Lab is seeking applications for a fully funded Postdoctoral Fellowship position. Our lab is part of the Computational Health Informatics Program (CHIP) at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) and Harvard Medical School. We focus on data-driven precision cancer medicine – to decode the genomic principles of tumor development, overcome barriers to discovering actionable lesions in cancer genomes, to maximize the potential of sequencing technologies in patient care, and innovate genome-inspired diagnostics and cancer therapies. Highlights of our research include: We developed one of the first algorithms for discovering noncoding drivers in cancer genomes (Science 2022), established a comprehensive resource of coding drivers in 11,873 patients (Nature Genetics 2020), created a platform for designing driver-directed combination therapies (Cell 2015), and led several clinical studies to enhance early-stage diagnoses of prostate cancer metastases in PET/CT imaging (JNM 2022).

Examples of our most recent work can be found here:

  1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35389777/
  2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32015527/
  3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26140595/
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35726091/
  5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35121878/
  6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33230298/
  7. https://www.dietleinlab.org/publications

About Our Lab

We are dedicated to training the next generation of exceptional scientists in our laboratory. Regardless of your future plans, it is at the heart of our mission as an academic laboratory that you thrive to the next level in your career. This includes guidance to establish a strong funding and publication record as well as dedicated mentorship for your personal career development.

With your start in our lab, we tailor a training plan to your specific strengths and needs, develop actionable teaching goals, and identify potential co-mentors and required resources. Our teaching includes biweekly meetings, peer mentorship, and a joint seminar series. Besides a stellar scientific training environment and outstanding access to data and infrastructure resources, we provide our trainees with plenty of opportunities for their personal growth, such as career development classes, attending national and international conferences, and dedicated time for planning next steps in science, academia and beyond.

All projects in our lab have immediate potential for clinical translational in view, but we know that it requires a long way to go from a computational finding to a clinical therapy. We consider mutual respect and open communication the glue that holds our lab together. Our regular social gatherings build team spirit, and town hall meetings identify issues that we can work on together. Our lab community creates an environment where we can thrive to our fullest potential. We know that cancer is a complicated puzzle, and we value that our scientists bring complementary pieces to the table from their different training backgrounds. We thrive on collaboration, collegiality, and data sharing. While scientists maintain ownership of their project, we encourage collaborations between different disciplines, such as integrating computational and experimental strategies. As a team, we solve challenges that are impossible to overcome for a single discipline. Surrounded by Harvard, CHIP, Boston Children’s, Dana-Farber, and the Broad Institute, our lab provides an ideal environment for creativity, interdisciplinary collaborations, and your personal growth to thrive to your fullest potential in your career.

We look forward to learning more about you and your story!

Required Qualifications:

  • MD, PhD, or equivalent. Preferably in computational biology, biostatistics, genetics, applied mathematics, physics, biology, molecular medicine, or related fields.
  • Demonstrated skills in methods or software development and analysis of biological data.
  • Previous work with cancer biology or genomics data (preferred but not required)
  • Strong programming experience. Preferably in Python, R, Java, C++, or Matlab
  • Strong publication record and scientific writing skills
  • Ability to work as part of a larger, integrated team of scientists
  • Because this training opportunity is funded by an NIH training program, it is open to US citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents (green card) only. If you do not fall into this category, we encourage you to submit your application to discuss other postdoctoral training opportunities in our lab.

How to apply:

Interested applicants should submit the following documents to Felix Dietlein, MD PhD:

  • cover letter, including a personal statement, your prior research experience, and training goals
  • CV and publication record
  • contacts of three references OR three letters of recommendation
  • up to 3 highlighted publications (optional)

We will start evaluating applications in December 2022 on a rolling basis until this position is filled. The start date for this position is April 2023 or earlier.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

Postdoctoral Associate Position: Virology at Choe Lab

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Summary

The Choe laboratory studies entry processes of a wide range of emerging viruses, combining molecular techniques and in vivo experiments. More information about Hyeryun Choe can be found at https://scripps.ufl.edu/profile/choe-hyeryun

The Choe laboratory currently at the UF Scripps Biomedical Research will relocate to Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), Division of Infectious Diseases. BCH is the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. We are seeking postdoctoral fellows to join the laboratory at BCH in early 2023.

There are three study areas candidates will work on:

  1. to discover antivirals using conventional screen methods and novel strategies to improve the potency and breadth of protein inhibitors
  2. to develop AAV vectors targeting specific tissues and cells, using the strategies well established in the lab
  3. to study flavivirus biology and to develop novel flavivirus vaccines

Candidates should have a Ph.D. in a relevant field and effective oral communication skills. Competency in molecular biology and experience in virology is also necessary. Interested applicants should submit CV and contact information of three references to: Hyeryun.choe@childrens.harvard.edu

Boston Children’s Hospital is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy‐related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Hematology/Oncology at Rowe Lab

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Job Summary

The Rowe laboratory at Boston Children’s Hospital, is seeking an accomplished, responsible, conscientious, and detail-oriented individual to join our ongoing efforts to uncover the molecular mechanisms that regulate normal and malignant blood stem cells, blood development and pediatric blood diseases. We have two ready-made projects focused on leukemia stem cells. The successful candidate must have a doctoral degree in the biological sciences with a strong record of productivity at the graduate level.

This is a great opportunity for a scientist with interest in a career in academic or industry to gain vital skills in stem cell biology. The laboratory uses cutting edge techniques in mouse and human hematopoietic stem cell biology and disease modeling, including single cell RNA sequencing, xenotransplantation, and induced pluripotent stem cells. We are a supportive team and we will develop a customized mentorship plan for your career goals.

Anticipated start date will be January, 2023

Requirements:

  • Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Chemistry, or related discipline
  • Willingness to work with animals and animal and human tissues
  • Strong organizational, management and communication skills, and an ability to recognize and prioritize responsibilities
  • Ability to work hard –independently as well as with others as a team in a productive manner

For more information contact:

Grant Rowe
Boston Children's Hospital
1 Blackfan Circle, 7th Floor
Boston, MA 02115
Tel: 617-919-2015
Email:robert.rowe@childrens.harvard.edu

Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Biobehavioral Research Lab

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Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biobehavioral Research Laboratory, Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard School of Medicine (Michelle Bosquet Enlow, Ph.D.)

Job Summary

The Biobehavioral Research Laboratory, under the direction of Michelle Bosquet Enlow, Ph.D., seeks a highly qualified postdoctoral fellow with an interest in developmental psychopathology and neurodevelopment. The ideal candidate will have experience in EEG and related methods (e.g., evoked potential [ERP]), and the analytic/statistical skills to relate such data to a wealth of existing and to-be-collected clinical and behavioral data. The individual selected for this position will be integrated into a longitudinal study initially focused on the neural correlates of emotion perception, overseen by Charles A. Nelson, Ph.D., who collaborates with Dr.Bosquet Enlow on the current project. The infants in the original study have been followed over the past decade. Current activities are focused on the developmental psychopathology of anxiety, with a particular focus on EEG and related methods, integrated with physiological, behavioral, and clinical methods.

Eligible applicants should have training in clinical or developmental psychology or developmental cognitive neuroscience, ideally with solid experience in neuroscience methods (particularly EEG) and experience with children. The fellow will have the opportunity to supervise and mentor research coordinators/assistants and undergraduate students and will be expected to have extensive involvement in data processing and analysis, and, correspondingly, in manuscript preparation and grant writing. Experience in advanced signal processing and statistical skills are desirable, as is clinical/developmental psychopathology experience. Applicants with less EEG experience but strong clinical experience, particularly in the area of child anxiety, will also be strongly considered.

This position is open for a possible start date as early as November 1st 2022. A 2-year commitment is preferred. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Qualifications:

  • Doctoral degree in clinical or developmental psychology, neuroscience, or cognitive neuroscience, with a history of research focused on neurodevelopment and/or child anxiety
  • Experience conducting research with children
  • Excellent interpersonal, clinical, and research skills
  • Experience with EEG/ERP
  • Clinical experience, particularly with child anxiety

Application Information

A complete application includes 1 copy of each of the following items (please include your full name on every page of your application):

  1. Letter of interest
  2. CV
  3. Names and contact information for three references

For consideration, please submit an application to Dr. Michelle Bosquet Enlow (michelle.bosquet@childrens.harvard.edu)

Job Summary

The focus of the Sampson Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School is to discover the molecular basis of nephrotic syndrome through human genomics to inform mechanisms, treatments, and cures for this disease. We integrate genomics data with other molecular and clinical datasets to discover the biological and clinical impact of the disease-associated genomic variants we discover. Our research also focuses on using multiomics datasets and cellular model systems to make definitive genomic diagnoses for individuals patients with nephrotic syndrome.

We now seek an enthusiastic and intellectually curious researcher interested in these broad research areas, particularly in leading investigations into personalized, next-generation approaches to genomic diagnosis.

Specific topic of interests include:

  • Co-analysis of germline genome sequencing and kidney/fibroblast-derived omics data in patients with nephrotic syndrome
  • Analysis of long-read genome and RNA-sequencing from kidney tissue
  • Genome-wide association studies and eQTL studies of kidney diseases and traits

The applicant will have a strong understanding of human genetics, bioinformatics, and/or genome biology and skills in high-performance computing. They will use both well-established and newer methods for generation and analysis of diverse types of genomic data, including genome and exome sequencing, and bulk and single cell transcriptomics. They will drive their own projects and also support the efforts of other members of the group.

The Sampson Lab is located at Boston Children’s Hospital and is affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. It is well-funded through multiple Federal grants and other resources. It is a vibrant, highly collaborative, and multidisciplinary environment made up of nephrologists, computational geneticists, biostatisticians, and epidemiologists, and bench researchers

Responsibilities:

  • Leading investigations into personalized, next-generation approaches to genomic diagnosis for children with proteinuric kidney disease.
  • Designing, troubleshooting, and analysis of diverse genomic discovery efforts using our own genomic phenotypic data those aggregated from publicly available resources
  • Communication with external collaborators, and contributions to the preparation of manuscripts, grants, and presentations

Minimum Qualifications:

  • PhD in genetics/genomics, biocomputing/bioinformatics, statistics, or a related field
  • Experience in any of the following: human genetics/genomics, variant calling, rare diseases, single cell approaches
  • Programming experience in UNIX, R, and/or Python
  • Familiarity with high-performance and/or cloud computing
  • Evidence of prior publication(s) and conference/oral presentations
  • Willingness to collaborate and interact with others

Preferred qualifications:

  • Working with bioinformatics analysis pipelines, code version control (e.g., git) tools and/or experience with standard bioinformatic tools (e.g., samtools, PLINK, bedtools)
  • Familiarity with reproducible data science using Jupyter Notebook or RMarkdown or other
  • An understanding of biological systems

Interested candidates should send a cover letter & CV to:

matthew.sampson@childrens.harvard.edu

Matt Sampson, MD MSCE
Warren E. Grupe Chair in Pediatric Nephrology, Boston Children’s Hospital
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Associate Member, Broad Institute Research Faculty, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

Description

The LBDD at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Institute of Medicine is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral research fellow that is interested in aptamer identification, modification, manufacturing, and application in in vitro and in vivo models focusing on drug design and delivery. Our lab’s overall goal is to understand and to develop customizable drug delivery systems.

Preferred qualifications include:

  • Aptamer chemistry, including synthesis
  • Molecular techniques for analysis and application of aptamer qualities
  • Animal handling, breeding, & surgical skills for experiments
  • Cell culture and associated techniques
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team
  • Basic statistical methods
  • 0-3 years of post-doctoral expertise
  • MD and/or PhD

 

Salary is competitive and commensurate with years of post-doctoral experience/qualifications

Please send CV, statement of interest, and 3 references to both:

Daniel Kohane, MD, PhD

Christopher Weldon, MD, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellowship Position: Hematology/Oncology at Agarwal Lab

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Postdoctoral research fellowships

Two year fellowships funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) are available for MD, PhD, MD/PhD applicants from the fields of psychiatry, psychology, pediatrics, neurology, genetics, neuroscience, developmental biology, computer science and related fields who seek to improve or expand their ability to conduct interdisciplinary-translational research in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Trainees accepted into the postdoctoral training program will work collaboratively with two program mentors (one preclinical and one clinical), who will help to define, enhance and monitor the trainee’s research program and career trajectory. The training program also offers various didactic courses and activities (e.g.,workshops on research methods and grant writing, journal club and career lunches) to promote professional development.

This program has an outstanding success rate for training postdoctoral fellows who go on to become highly productive independent researchers. Creative, energetic and dedicated candidates are particularly encouraged to apply, as are candidates from backgrounds typically underrepresented in higher education.

The application deadline is April 15th, with the expectation that trainees will be selected by May 2nd and will start July 1st, 2022. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with an MD and/or PhD (must be completed at the time training begins). Commitment to the goals of the program and strong academic and research credentials are important criteria used in the selection process. For additional information on the T32 training program and application procedures, please contact the Program Administrator, Gregory Geisel at T32translationaldevelopment@childrens.harvard.edu

Boston Children’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce. We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

Postdoctoral Fellowship Position: Henderson Lab

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Postdoctoral Fellow

Positions is available within the Division of Immunology at Boston Children’s Hospital to spearhead studies on the pathogenesis of juvenile arthritis. This position is ideal for candidates interested in translational immunology research and bioinformatics. A minimum two-year commitment is required.The research project will utilize human samples to study interactions between and T and B cells in the arthritic joint that may drive inflammatory arthritis in children. There will be a focus on understanding the functionality of several Treg subsets in the joint that were recently identified by the PI. Multidimensional analyses will be used to conduct the research, including flow cytometry, mass cytometry, bulk RNAseq, single cell RNAseq, metabolomics, high throughput T and B cell repertoire analysis, autoantibodyarrays, and in vitro functional assays. These techniques are all well established in the Lab, which will allow the Postdoctoral Fellow to learn in a supportive environment. In addition, there are plans to leverage CRISP-Cas to study the function of candidate transcription factors in human immune cells.

The PI is a NIH funded faculty member within the Division of Immunology and a practicing pediatric rheumatologist. The Lab has experience in leveraging detailed immunophenotyping to understand human diseases. The PI has established an infrastructure for translational research in pediatric rheumatology at Boston Children’s Hospital, including active IRB protocols and a large biorepository. The Postdoctoral Fellow will also have the opportunity to participate in patient based research in a pediatric setting and learn the intricacies of maintaining a biorepository. The Division of Immunology is a vibrant and collaborative research community that provides many opportunities to interact with other PIs and trainees. Further, the Postdoctoral Fellow will have access to the larger Harvard Medical School environment for training, access to core facilities, and seminars.

The applicant should have a PhD or MD with substantial laboratory/translational research experience related to immunology, molecular/cellular biology, and/or bioinformatics. Individuals with a master’s degree in bioinformatics will also be considered. The ideal candidate will have solid experience in computer programing and bioinformatics as a major focus of the project will include the analysis of complex data sets. If desired, the PI will support further training/classwork in bioinformatics through the Harvard Chan Bioinfromatics Core and other program in the Harvard system. The applicant should have a track record of productivity and an ability to work independently. The Postdoctoral Fellow should also be able to collaborate with others and function as a member of a research team. Potential for partial self-funding is welcome but not essential.

Interested applicants should email a current CV, the names/contact information for 2-3 references, and a brief statement on your experience and goals relevant to this position to:

Lauren A. Henderson, MD, MMSc
Attending Physician in Pediatric Rheumatology, Boston Children's Hospital
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Laura.henderson@childrens.harvard.edu

A Postdoctoral Fellow Positions is available within the Division of Immunology at Boston Children’s Hospital to spearhead studies on the pathogenesis of juvenile arthritis. This position is ideal for candidates interested in translational immunology research and bioinformatics. A minimum two-year commitment is required. The research project will utilize human samples to study interactions between and T and B cells in the arthritic joint that may drive inflammatory arthritis in children. There will be a focus on understanding the functionality of several Treg subsets in the joint that were recently identified by the PI. Multidimensional analyses will be used to conduct the research, including flow cytometry, mass cytometry, bulk RNAseq, single cell RNAseq, metabolomics, high throughput T and B cell repertoire analysis, autoantibody arrays, and in vitro functional assays. These techniques are all well established in the Lab, which will allow the Postdoctoral Fellow to learn in a supportive environment. In addition, there are plans to leverage CRISP-Cas to study the function of candidate transcription factors in human immune cells.

The PI is a NIH funded faculty member within the Division of Immunology and a practicing pediatric rheumatologist. The Lab has experience in leveraging detailed immunophenotyping to understand human diseases. The PI has established an infrastructure for translational research in pediatric rheumatology at Boston Children’s Hospital, including active IRB protocols and a large biorepository. The Postdoctoral Fellow will also have the opportunity to participate in patient based research in a pediatric setting and learn the intricacies of maintaining a biorepository. The Division of Immunology is a vibrant and collaborative research community that provides many opportunities to interact with other PIs and trainees. Further, the Postdoctoral Fellow will have access to the larger Harvard Medical School environment for training, access to core facilities, and seminars.

The applicant should have a PhD or MD with substantial laboratory/translational research experience related to immunology, molecular/cellular biology, and/or bioinformatics. Individuals with a master’s degree in bioinformatics will also be considered. The ideal candidate will have solid experience in computer programing and bioinformatics as a major focus of the project will include the analysis of complex data sets. If desired, the PI will support further training/classwork in bioinformatics through the Harvard Chan Bioinfromatics Core and other program in the Harvard system. The applicant should have a track record of productivity and an ability to work independently. The Postdoctoral Fellow should also be able to collaborate with others and function as a member of a research team. Potential for partial self-funding is welcome but not essential.

Interested applicants should email a current CV, the names/contact information for 2-3 references, and a brief statement on your experience and goals relevant to this position to:

Lauren A. Henderson, MD, MMSc
Attending Physician in Pediatric Rheumatology, Boston Children’s Hospital
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Lauren.henderson@childrens.harvard.edu

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Cancer Biology: Vakili Lab

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Applications are currently being accepted for a postdoctoral fellow to join the laboratory of Khashayar Vakili at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Our research focuses on liver cancer biology by analyzing patient-derived tumors and developing in vitro models with a focus on translational studies.

Qualified candidates must have a PhD or MD/PhD degree with a strong background in advanced molecular biology, gene editing, cloning, 3-D cell culture techniques, as well as an in-depth understanding of cancer biology. Candidates must be self-motivated and possess strong communication/organizational skills along with a collaborative attitude. A strong record of scientific achievement is strongly preferred. Salary will be determined based on the candidate’s experience and qualifications.

Please send cover letter, CV, and information for at least three references to:
Khashayar Vakili, MD c/o Tyler Vaz
tyler.vaz@childrens.harvard.edu

Postdoctoral Fellowship Position: Ke Yuan Lab

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An opening position of postdoctoral research fellow is available in Dr. Ke Yuan’s Lab in the Department of Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Both positions utilize cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and aim to understand the critical role of vascular cells including pericytes during angiogenesis and abnormal vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and other pulmonary vascular diseases.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow:

Highly motivated Ph.D. with a strong background in one or more of the following areas Cell/Molecular/Developmental Biology, Rodent(mouse/rat) Genetics, and related biomedical science fields are encouraged to apply. The candidate must also have enthusiasm, excellent critical thinking skills, a track-record of productivity as demonstrated by at least one first-author peer-reviewed publication, an ability to work well both independently and as part of a team, and proficiency in written and oral English communication. Prior experience with right ventricular pressure measurements in rodents, confocal, primary cell culture, bioinformatics (Single-cell sequencing, ChIP-seq) and data analysis, and CRISPR mediated genome editing would be an advantage.

What we will offer you:

A successful candidate will have the opportunity to lead independent and and cutting-edge research projects with a world-class research facility while obtaining valuable experience with the relevant technology that prepares well for future positions in academia or industry. We will also provide a customizable curriculum, individual career development/support, and Interdisciplinary and collaborative research community.

To apply, please send 1) a cover letter with a brief statement of research experience and future proposed interests, 2) a detailed curriculum vitae to: ke.yuan@childrens.harvard.edu

Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Fu Lab

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The laboratories of Drs. Lois Smith, MD, PhD, and Zhongjie Fu, PhD, are seeking a talented and motivated research fellow in the field of retinal angiogenesis and retinal degeneration. The position is available immediately and the fellow will be co-mentored by Drs. Smith and Fu. This study involves using both genetic and pharmacologic approaches in animal models to study the mechanisms and identify potential therapeutics in vascular eye diseases, and for retinal neuronal degeneration. This includes (but is not limited to) a specific focus on the investigation of lipid metabolism in retinal vascular and neuronal diseases (glaucoma, retinal degeneration, retinopathy of prematurity).

Requirement:•Ph.D. in biomedical science or related fields with 0-1 years of experience.

  • Proficiency with experimental design, implementation and analysis.
  • Ability and willingness to work independently while also part of a dynamic research team.
  • Proficiency in written and spoken English.

Preferred

  • Experience with rodent care and animal husbandry, but a willingness to be trained in animal handling and husbandry techniques is acceptable.
  • Experience in retinal research.

Interested candidate please send a cover letter detailing your research interests and career objective, and CV with names of three references addressed to: Zhongjie Fu, PhD, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Email: FuLAB.BCH@gmail.com

Postdoctoral Research Fellow: DART Lab

The DART Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School is recruiting one to two postdoctoral fellows to join a growing team.

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The postdoctoral fellow will be responsible for developing novel methodologies and applications integrating data from smartphones and wearables in "real-world" settings, with the rich clinical data offered in hospital settings, and using this framework to evaluate and predict clinical and treatment progression in pediatric patients. The applicant will collaborate with colleagues within Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the National Institute of Mental Health in applying these methods in clinical projects related to pediatric chronic pain, mental health, sleep, and substance use. Several exciting projects are available depending on the experience of the candidate. The position includes a number of training opportunities for career development through Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital. Funding is secure for a minimum of two years.

Given the interdisciplinary nature of the projects, candidates can have a PhD degree (or MD/PhD) in psychology, epidemiology, biomedical informatics, computer science, or a related field. Strong quantitative and/or qualitative skills are necessary. Excellent written and verbal communication skills and project management skills are crucial. Preferred requirements for this position include experience in multilevel modelling and/or machine learning, ecological momentary assessment, and sleep assessment.

Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and the names of three references to the below address. Pre-inquiries are welcome.

Joe Kossowsky, PhD, MMSc
Assistant Professor in Anesthesia, Harvard Medical School
Director, DART Lab, Boston Children’s Hospital
joe.kossowsky@childrens.harvard.edu

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Interpretable and Fair Machine Learning for Clinical Decision Support

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The Clarity- and Virtue-guided Algorithms (CAVA) Lab at Boston Children's Hospital / Harvard Medical School is seeking a postdoctoral research fellow to advance the interpretability and fairness of machine learning (ML) models deployed in critical healthcare settings. The fellow will join a multidisciplinary team of computer scientists, informaticists, clinicians, engineers, and bioethicists to develop and assess clinical prediction algorithms and advance our understanding of the behavior of machine learning models deployed in health settings.

The fellow will help us think critically about how machine learning methods affect clinical practice and outcomes; in particular, 1) the conditions under which ML provides or fails to provide insight into disease pathologies, and 2) the conditions under which ML exacerbates or mitigates treatment and outcome disparities between patient subgroups.

Prediction models are an increasingly important technology in the digital health landscape, and can produce large-scale changes in health care via their interactions with patients, clinicians, and hospital operations. This postdoctoral fellowship provides an opportunity to study these issues more deeply in order to improve our ability to diagnose and intervene in a more trustworthy and equitable way.

The fellowship includes an academic appointment at Harvard Medical School, as well as a hospital appointment at Boston Children’s Hospital. This position provides an excellent opportunity for the research fellow to work within a multidisciplinary research team to explore advanced areas in health information technology. CHIP is home to 20 faculty working at the forefront of research areas extending beyond clinical prediction algorithms to domains like clinical NLP, digital epidemiology, clinical genomics, and app ecosystems for health records. CHIP and the CAVA Lab value diversity and believe that it is essential to our research goals. We therefore strongly encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

Admissions

The position is available immediately and is renewable annually.

Qualifications

  • PhD degree in computer science, information science, biomedical informatics, data mining, engineering, applied mathematics, or a closely related field.
  • A track record of high-quality research that demonstrates the ability to independently identify important research topics and carry out experiments.
  • Candidates with strong experience in machine learning, preferably both in the assessment of ML algorithms in data science applications and in the development of novel methods.
  • Experience and familiarity with the machine learning literature on interpretability and fairness
  • Experience working with large, heterogeneous data collections, especially electronic health records, multi-omics data, or other health data
  • Programming experience in Python, R, and/or C++
  • Experience with collaborative software development (revision control, continuous integration, etc.) strongly preferred
  • Experience with open science practices (preprints, reproducible workflows, etc.) strongly preferred
  • Strong written and oral communication skills
  • Ability to work both independently and as a team player

How to apply

Interested candidates should email a CV, three letters of reference, and a sample publication to Dr. William La Cava, PI Clarity and Virtue-guided Algorithms Lab: william.lacava@childrens.harvard.edu.

Postdoctoral Training in Informatics, Genomics, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Biomedical Data Science — Boston Children’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School

The successful candidate will join a vibrant research team exploring the metabolic pathways of intestinal bacteria, their impact on host metabolism, and the role of novel vaccine platforms. He or she will have appointments both at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and will participate in the activities of the Infectious Diseases Division at BCH and the Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology at Harvard Medical School.

Recent graduates with a track record of productivity and excellent references are encouraged to apply. Candidates should send a statement of interest and future goals and a curriculum vitae, and should request three letters of reference to be sent directly from mentors familiar with their scientific abilities to paula.watnick@childrens.harvard.edu.

To learn more about our areas of interest, please see:

  • Hang S, Purdy AE, Robins WP, Wang Z, Mandal M, Chang S, Mekalanos JJ, Watnick PI. The acetate switch of an intestinal pathogen disrupts host insulin signaling and lipid metabolism. Cell Host Microbe. 2014 Nov 12;16(5):592-604.
  • Vanhove AS, Hang S, Vijayakumar V, Wong CAN, Asara JM, Watnick PI.Vibrio cholerae ensures function of host proteins required for virulence through consumption of luminal methionine sulfoxide, PLoS Pathogens, 2017.

Postdoc in Type 2 diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism

A postdoctoral fellow position is available in the lab of Dr. Sang Park at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. We are located in the center of the Longwood medical area (3 Blackfan Circle, Boston). The fields of our interest are obesity, type 2 diabetes, and ER stress.

Learn more about the role

The goal of this project is to understand the molecular mechanisms by which insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes develop in obesity.

The project involves cell culture and mouse experiments.

Background in molecular biology (western blot, DNA/RNA works) is a must requirement. Please visit our website for more information.

Please send your CV and three references’ contact information to: sangpark2014@gmail.com

Postdoc in the Division of Infectious Diseases/Department of Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital

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The Levy Laboratory is the focal point of the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. The program employs cutting-edge technologies to understand age-specific features of immune responses to inform development of vaccines tailored for optimal safety and immunogenicity towards distinct populations. Due to distinct immunity, most infection-induced death occurs at the extremes of life, and motivating development of improved vaccines that are safe and effective in the young and old. We seek a skilled and motivated postdoctoral scientist with background in Immunology (experience in T and B lymphocyte studies a plus), vaccinology, and/or systems biology and bioinformatics to lead projects employing systems biology to characterize age-specific vaccine responses and development of novel adjuvanted vaccines.

The project will employ recent knowledge in the areas of innate immune pathways (TLRs/inflammasome) and nanoparticle technology to identify adjuvants and enhance immune responses of those at the extremes of age in vitro and in vivo. Studies will employ in vitro modeling of human newborn, adult, and elderly antigen-presenting cells, T and B lymphocytes, as well as in vivo animal and human studies.

Our laboratory, comprised of 12 current members including postdoctoral scientists, clinical fellows, and technicians, is dynamic, international, supportive, and productive. We are well funded by NIH, Gates Foundation, and internal support, as well as multiple sponsored research agreements. We offer excellent opportunities for high-impact research, publication, attendance at scientific meetings, and career advancement, with graduates of the lab holding prominent positions in academia and industry. The candidate should have obtained their PhD within the last one to three years. Interested applicants should email their CV and arrange to have three statements of reference emailed to ofer.levy@childrens.harvard.edu.

The project investigates candidate genes found to control angiogenesis in the mouse eye. These candidate genes were identified through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of inbred mouse strains and further validated in zebrafish. The fellow will lead a program to verify and elucidate the mechanism of action of these genes. The ideal postdoc (MD or PhD) will have a strong background in molecular and mammalian genetics with an interest in vascular biology and ophthalmology. Candidates should be able to work independently and have strong English writing skills. Salary is commensurate with experience. Position is available immediately for two years with potential for renewal and is fully funded with benefits.

If interested, please send via email a CV, a statement of research interests, as well as the names and contact information for three references to:

Dr. Robert D'Amato
Vascular Biology Program
Boston Children's Hospital
300 Longwood Ave.
Boston, MA 02115

robert.damato@childrens.harvard.edu

Website

A postdoctoral position is available in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School to support in a research program on HIV biology and AIDS vaccine development. Highly motivated applicants must have a PhD or MD degree, strong experience in molecular biology and/or immunology techniques, and good communication skills.

Send curriculum vitae with names and addresses of three references to Dr. Anna Aldovini: anna.aldovini@childrens.harvard.edu