"Postdoc Employee Transposons Research Molecular and Cell Biology"

Position Overview

Position title: Postdoctoral Employee (003252)

Salary range: The UC academic salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See the following table(s) for the current salary scale(s) for this position: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2024-25/oct-2024-scales/t23.pdf. A reasonable estimate for this position is $66,737 - $74,425.

Percent time: 100% FTE

Anticipated start: Fall 2025 to Spring 2026

Position duration: Two year with the possibility of extension based on performance and availability of funding.

Application Window

Open date: October 4, 2025

Next review date: Monday, Dec 8, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Sunday, Jan 4, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position Description

The He lab is in the Molecular and Cell Biology department at UC-Berkeley, which encompasses a breadth of disciplines spanning all levels of organization and encompassing diverse organisms. The breath of training, combined with the unique location of Berkeley in the center of biomedical research, offer a nurturing environment for the next-generation scientist to launch on a successful career in biomedical research in academia and industry. The Principal Investigator, Dr. Lin He, was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship (the genius award), the Searle Scholar, a HHMI Faculty Scholar, and is currently a Thomas and Stacey Siebel distinguished chair professor at UC-Berkeley, and a biohub investigator with the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI).

The developmental and physiological complexity of a given organism is not governed by the sheer number of protein-coding genes. In mammals, the numerous functional non-coding elements greatly expand gene regulatory modality and diversify functional reservoir. Using human genetics/genomics, mouse genetics/genomics, cell and molecular biology approaches, the He lab at UC-Berkeley has identified a variety of functional non-coding elements, including transposons and non-coding RNAs. Not only do non-coding elements offer important developmental/physiological functions, they also provide us with a unique angle to discover new biological/cellular processes in development and disease. Combining sophisticated genome engineering and innovative live cell imaging, we have pioneered in vivo studies to elucidate the new cellular functions and molecular mechanisms in development and aging. The discoveries of the He lab have been well recognized by publications in prestigious journals, including Nature, Science and Cell. Currently, there are postdoc openings in two projects.

Transposons in mammalian preimplantation development ~40% of mammalian genome originates from transposons, whose abundance greatly exceeds that of protein genes. While historically viewed as degenerated 'parasitic' DNAs, transposons yield numerous functional elements for the host genome. These sequences resulted from ancient invasion confer new mechanisms of gene regulation, generate Neogene/ncRNA functions, and provide raw material for genome innovation. Mammalian preimplantation embryos constitute one of the best systems to study transposon-host interactions, as ~20% of their transcriptome results from transposon induction. We aim to characterize the role of specific transposons in preimplantation embryos.

Transposons in aging and disease While specific transposons are integral components of host biology, most mammalian transposons are potentially detrimental to the host genomes, thus inactivated via degenerative mutations and/or transcriptional/post-transcriptional silencing. Interestingly, aberrant transposon induction has been observed in a variety of pathological conditions, including aging, cancer and infection. We aim to investigate the mechanisms underlying transposon dysregulation during reproductive aging and cancer, and to elucidate the effects of transposon-host interactions that accelerate aging and promote cancer.

Postdoc responsibilities:

1. The postdoc will work with the PI to develop a project in one of the two research directions, to comprehensively read literature, to establish appropriate experimental systems, to learn important technologies, and to execute experiments to advance the project and perform data analyses.
2. The postdoc will meet with the PI on a weekly basis to discuss results, to development experimental plans.
3. The postdoc will work with junior lab members to mentor them on specific experimental techniques.
4. The postdoc will contribute to lab duties, which is evenly distributed among all lab members.

Lab: https://www.helabucb.org/

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)
PhD (or equivalent international degree) or enrolled in a PhD degree program (or equivalent international degree)

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)
Ph.D. (or equivalent international degree) required by the appointment start date. No more than three years of post-degree research experience by the start date.

Preferred qualifications
Ph.D. in developmental biology, Genetics, Genomics, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry or related field are all welcome to apply. Prior research experiences in mammalian development and disease are preferred.

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter
• Research Statement - Please discuss research accomplishments and proposed plans. This can include, for example, your publication record, awards, presentations, inclusive research practices that promote the excellence of your research, and areas for future research.
  (Optional)

Reference requirements

• 3-5 required (contact information only)

Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05057

Help contact: sthsharpe@berkeley.edu

Job Location

Berkeley, CA