Post Doc Res Assoc

Job Summary

The Ho lab at the University of Utah is launching an ambitious program to systematically discover, map, and therapeutically harness mitochondrial microproteins to reverse mitochondrial dysfunction in rare and common disease. Microproteins encoded by small open reading frames (smORFs) are an enormous, largely uncharted space of short proteins that regulate core aspects of mitochondrial metabolism, import, and stress responses, and represent a new class of therapeutic targets. Building on our leadership in microprotein discovery and function, we are now expanding in Utah to recruit multiple postdoctoral fellows to apply high throughput methods and machine/deep learning to unlock the full potential of the dark proteome.

Responsibilities

Scientific visionRibosome profiling has uncovered nearly 10,000 human microproteins, yet fewer than 1% are functionally characterized, and a substantial fraction appear to localize to mitochondria ("mito-MPs"). Our long‑term goal is to:

• Create a comprehensive, experimentally validated functional atlas of mitochondrial microproteins
• Reverse mitochondrial dysfunction in rare mitochondrial diseases as well as common metabolic disorders

Postdocs in the lab will drive one or more of the following thrusts (projects can be tailored to your background):

1. Mapping the mitochondrial microproteome
2. Systems‑level functional mapping of mito‑MPs
3. Hypotheses-driven interrogation of mito-MP biology
4. AI‑guided design of therapeutic microproteins

If you are excited by the idea of treating microproteins as programmable therapeutic modules and want to work at the intersection of mitochondrial biology, functional genomics, and machine learning, we would love to hear from you.

Methods and platforms in the lab

Depending on your project and interests, you will have the opportunity to work with:

• High‑throughput functional genomics: pooled CRISPR and base‑editing screens, barcoded overexpression libraries, massively parallel reporter assays.
• Advanced cell and mitochondrial biology: primary human fibroblasts, mitochondrial bioenergetics, import assays, respiratory chain phenotyping, in vivo disease models.
• Multi‑omics: single‑cell and bulk transcriptomics, untargeted metabolomics, quantitative proteomics.
• Computational and AI approaches: microprotein bioinformatics, multi‑omic integration, protein language models, generative sequence design, and model interpretability (e.g., SHAP, attention mapping).

The Ho lab culture emphasizes team science, rigorous mechanistic work, and translation; you will join a collaborative network of basic and clinical partners aimed at moving microprotein discoveries toward therapeutic applications.

Ideal candidate profile

We are recruiting multiple postdocs, and strongly encourage applicants from all scientific and personal backgrounds. Ideal candidates will bring expertise in at least one of the following areas, and enthusiasm to learn across disciplines:

• Mitochondrial biochemistry, bioenergetics, or oxidative phosphorylation.
• Rare mitochondrial diseases or mitochondrial dysfunction in metabolic disease.
• Mitochondrial protein import, organelle proteostasis, or quality control.
• Functional genomics: CRISPR/Cas9 or base‑editing screens, high‑throughput reporter assays.
• Single‑cell or spatial transcriptomics / proteomics / metabolomics in metabolic or mitochondrial contexts.
• Microprotein or peptide biology; therapeutic peptide, mRNA, or gene therapy development related to mitochondrial disease.
• Computational biology / bioinformatics, especially ribosome profiling, disease gene discovery, or integrative multi‑omic analyses.
• Machine learning for biological data (e.g., protein language models, transformers, generative models) and interest in building interpretable tools for experimental colleagues.

Qualifications

• PhD or MD‑PhD in a relevant field (e.g., Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Systems Biology, Bioengineering, Computational Biology, Biomedical Data Science).
• Strong publication record for your career stage and evidence of driving projects to completion.
• Demonstrated critical and creative thinking, with the ability to formulate and test mechanistic hypotheses.
• Independence and strong organizational skills, coupled with enjoyment of close collaboration and mentoring in a team setting.

Prior experience in every technique listed is not required; we expect you to have depth in one area and motivation to expand your toolkit in others.

What we offer

• A highly collaborative, supportive environment spanning wet‑lab, computational, and translational efforts, embedded in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Utah.
• Clear lines of sight to high‑impact publications and therapeutic development.
• Structured mentoring to help you define your scientific niche, build an independent research vision, and prepare competitive grant and faculty applications.
• Access to state‑of‑the‑art core facilities and an extensive network of international collaborators in mitochondrial biology, microproteins, and therapeutic development.

How to apply

Please email the following materials to lena@ho-lab.org with the subject line "Postdoctoral application - Microproteins & Mitochondria":

1. CV including publication list.
2. A 1-2 page statement of purpose describing: Your past research experience. How your skills intersect with our program's goals. One or two scientific questions you would be excited to pursue within the themes above.
3. Contact information for 2-3 referees.

Informal inquiries are welcome if you would like to discuss fit or project directions before applying. For more information on our work, please visit www.ho-lab.org.