Position Highlights

The Romanoski Laboratory at the University of Arizona invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in vascular genomics and systems genetics. Our research program uses integrative genomics approaches to define the molecular mechanisms by which genetic variation shapes endothelial cell biology and confers risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) and microvascular dysfunction.

This position offers hands-on training in state-of-the-art experimental and computational methods, including single-cell genomics, chromatin profiling, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, and integration with large-scale biobank resources.

Active research areas include:

• eQTL and splicing QTL (sQTL) mapping in human aortic and microvascular endothelial cells under physiological flow conditions.
• Single-cell RNA sequencing and chromatin accessibility profiling across genetically diverse donor populations.
• Colocalization of endothelial molecular QTLs with GWAS signals for CAD, blood pressure, and related vascular traits.
• Integration with population-scale biobanks including UK Biobank, MVP, and All of Us.
• Functional characterization of candidate effector genes emerging from colocalization, including surface proteins and splicing regulators operating through the hemodynamic flow-regulated transcriptional program.

Primary Job Duties Include:

• Design and execute experiments using primary human endothelial cells hemodynamic shear stress conditions.
• Prepare and QC sequencing libraries including bulk RNA-seq, small RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and single-cell libraries.
• Perform genome-scale quantiative trait locus (QTL) mapping analyses and genetic colocalization with genome wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics.
• Analyze single-cell and bulk genomics datasets using standard and custom bioinformatics pipelines.
• Contribute to grant writing, manuscript preparation, and presentations at national conferences.
• Mentor and support graduate students and other members of the laboratory.