"Postdoctoral Fellow in Human Immunology"

Job Details

Postdoctoral Fellow in Human Immunology

Location: University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Open Date: Sep 09, 2025

Faculty Mentor: Michela Locci, PhD.

Department: Microbiology.

Founding Source: PolyBio

Number of Positions: 1

Open to applications from US citizen and foreign nationals.

The Locci lab studies T cell-B cell collaborations in health and disease. Areas of active investigation in the lab include T follicular helper (Tfh) cell differentiation and regulation of B cell responses in vaccination, infection and autoimmunity in mice and humans. The Lab is part of the Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H), a large and vibrant immunology community at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, USA).

We are seeking a motivated and talented postdoctoral researcher to lead a project aimed at dissecting Tfh and B cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 in Long COVID, using combined approaches including single-cell transcriptomics (CITE-seq) and spatial transcriptomics on lymph node samples.

Publications highlighting previous work from our group are:

• IL-12 drives the differentiation of human T follicular regulatory cells. Castano et al. Science Immunology 2024
• Distinct components of nucleoside-modified messenger RNA vaccines cooperate to instruct efficient germinal center responses. Bettini et al. bioRxiv 2024
• Germinal center responses to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in healthy and immunocompromised individuals. Lederer et al. Cell 2022
• Lipid nanoparticles enhance the efficacy of mRNA and protein subunit vaccines by inducing robust T follicular helper cell and humoral responses. Alameh et al Immunity 2021

Qualifications

Qualified applicants should have a PhD or an MD, and experience with human immunology and CITE-seq. Previous experience with spatial transcriptomics and bioinformatic skills are highly desirable.

Application Instructions

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Applications should be sent through Interfolio using the link below and include curriculum vitae, cover letter, and contact information for two references.

To apply, visit https://apply.interfolio.com/173613

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.