"Postdoctoral Research Associate - Yajima Lab"

The Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry (MCB) at Brown University is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate to lead one or some of the projects in our research group in the lab of Mamiko Yajima. We are the sea urchin embryology lab and study embryonic development with a focus on 1) asymmetric cell division, 2) metabolic regulation, 3) localized mRNA translation, and network-level analyses.

The position is intended for wet lab work, yet many of the projects integrate large dataset analysis, which will be supported by our computational biologists in the group. This position will be ideal for those who are interested in integrating both experimental and computational biology into one’s research.

Project description:

1. Molecular evolution of polarity factors and asymmetric cell division: Discovering how molecular evolution of AGS, a polarity factor, alters the asymmetric cell division and developmental program during the course of echinoderm evolution (Reference article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31439829)
2. Metabolic regulation during embryonic development: Identifying how metabolic regulation contributes to specific cellular signaling and gene regulations during asymmetric cell division of the sea urchin embryo
3. Localized mRNA translation on the spindle: Identifying how Vasa, an RNA helicase, regulates translation with spatiotemporal precision during asymmetric cell division of the sea urchin embryo (Reference article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35444184)

Requirement: General knowledge and skills in cell and developmental biology.

Preferred skills: Experience in embryology and live imaging such as microinjection, optogenetic manipulations of a protein, and 4D-confocal imaging is preferred. Experience or knowledge in systems biology and/or multi-omics analyses is also welcomed.

Applicants must have completed all requirements for a doctoral degree before start of the position. Salary will be based on the NIH Postdoc scale that Brown follows and is commensurate with experience.

Applicants should submit a CV, cover letter, up to three representative publications, and names and contact of three references. Application review will begin immediately.

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