"Post-Doctoral Fellow"

A full-time POSTDOCTORAL POSITION for a PhD, MD, or MD/PhD is available in the laboratory of Kristi Kuhn, MD, PhD, Professor in the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to study how autoimmune B cells develop from interactions with bacteria at the intestinal surface as it relates to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The projects will build upon recent publications demonstrating how a unique bacterium targeted by autoantibodies from individuals with RA can stimulate the development of autoimmunity and arthritis in an animal model. Additionally, the work will induce how bacteria-produced metabolites trigger pathogenic autoantibodies. S/He will be a valued contributor to a multi-disciplinary team with experts in immunology, microbiome, and translational studies.

Key Responsibilities:

• Evaluate human serum from a large cohort of individuals at-risk for developing RA for the presence of anti-bacterial antibodies and correlate with clinical features.
• Develop cellular assays to examine human B cell development at a mucosal surface in response to bacteria.
• Utilize mouse models of RA to interrogate B cell repertoire to bacterial and auto-antigens.
• Perform and analyze single-cell RNA sequencing to understand how bacterial products influence B cell functions.
• Present findings through oral and written platforms including publications.
• Apply for career development grants.