Position Function

The Taracena Agarwal Lab in the Department of Entomology at Cornell University seeks a creative and motivated Postdoctoral Associate to lead research on the genomic and epigenomic basis of sexual dimorphism in somatic tissues of insect disease vectors.

This is a foundational position in a newly established research program, and the successful candidate will play a defining role in shaping the lab's scientific direction and contributing first-author work to its inaugural body of publications.

Sex-specific traits in somatic tissues—such as those governing blood-feeding, reproductive physiology, immune competence, and vector capacity—are central to the biology of disease transmission, yet the regulatory architecture underlying these differences remains poorly understood.

The successful candidate will combine functional genomics approaches (ATAC-seq, single-cell and single-nucleus RNA-seq, splicing variant analysis) with the sex-determination cascade to dissect how chromatin accessibility, transcriptional regulation, and alternative splicing produce sex-specific somatic phenotypes.

Findings from this work are expected to inform the next generation of genetic and biological control strategies for vector-borne disease.

The Postdoctoral Associate will:

• Design and execute experiments.
• Generate and analyze high-throughput sequencing datasets.
• Prepare manuscripts as first author.
• Present findings at international conferences.
• Contribute to grant and fellowship applications.

The position offers substantial intellectual independence within a collaborative environment, direct mentorship from the PI, and tailored support for career development toward the postdoc's chosen trajectory (academic, industry, or otherwise).

Anticipated Division of Time

• Research design, execution, and data analysis: 70%
• Manuscript and grant/fellowship writing: 15%
• Mentorship of graduate and undergraduate students in the lab: 10%
• Lab citizenship, including journal clubs, seminars, and shared lab responsibilities: 5%

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in molecular biology, genetics, genomics, entomology, developmental biology, or a closely related discipline (completed by the start date).
• Hands-on experience with next-generation sequencing library construction (e.g., RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, or related).
• Demonstrated experience with at least one of the following: Proficiency in command-line bioinformatics and a scripting language for genomic data analysis (R, Python, or equivalent). ATAC-seq. Single-cell or single-nucleus RNA-seq. Splicing variant identification. Functional dissection of the sex-determination cascade.
• Track record of first-author peer-reviewed publication (published or in advanced preprint/submission).
• Strong written and oral scientific communication skills in English.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, and to mentor junior trainees.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with insect systems, particularly disease vectors (mosquitoes, triatomines, sand flies, or related).
• Integrated experience across two or more of: Experience with multi-omic data integration and/or chromatin biology. ATAC-seq. sc/snRNA-seq. Splicing variant analysis. Sex-differentiation pathway studies.
• Experience generating or working with transgenic insect lines, CRISPR/Cas9 editing, or RNAi-based functional validation.
• Prior success in obtaining independent fellowship funding, or a clear plan and willingness to apply for postdoctoral fellowships (e.g., NIH F32/K99, HFSP, Burroughs Wellcome, Damon Runyon, or international equivalents).
• Interest in vector biology, disease ecology, or translational applications to vector control.