Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cellular and Molecular Medicine

This Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cellular and Molecular Medicine position is with University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. The laboratory combines human endothelial cell culture and perturbation systems with genomic discovery tools to dissect how genetic variation at CAD-associated loci operates through the vessel wall. Active research areas include: Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) mapping in human endothelial cell cohorts exposed to various in vitro environments. Genetic and heterogeneity-based analysis of endothelial cell molecular traits using single-cell RNA sequencing and chromatin accessibility profiling . Colocalization and Mendelian Randomization between genetic signals in endothelial cells and GWAS signals for vascular phenotypes. Integration with population-scale biobanks including UK Biobank, All of Us, and others. Functional characterization of candidate effector genes using laboratory assays for endothelial functions. Primary Job Duties Include: Design and execute experiments using primary human endothelial cells. Prepare and QC sequencing libraries including bulk RNA-seq, small RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and single-cell libraries. Perform genome-scale mapping and genetic colocalization with GWAS summary statistics. Analyze *-seq datasets using standard and custom bioinformatics pipelines. Contribute to grant writing, manuscript preparation, and presentations at national conferences. Mentor and support trainees and other members of the laboratory. Knowledge, Skills Abilities: Ability operating specialized equipment in a laboratory setting. Proficiency in sequencing library preparation, including bulk RNA-seq, small RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and single-cell sequencing protocols. Knowledge of genetic colocalization methods using GWAS and molecular QTL summary statistics. Working knowledge of large-scale biobank resources, particularly the All of US Research Program and phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) frameworks. Biological knowledge of vascular cell types, endothelial function, and the pathobiology of atherosclerosis.