Research Fellow (Mechanobiology Institute)

Job Description

The Mechanobiology Institute (MBI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) is a leading multi-disciplinary institute devoted to developing new paradigms for understanding biological functions in health and diseases from the perspective of cell, tissue and organ mechanics/dynamics and mechano-signal transduction. The institute operates on a fully integrated open-lab philosophy, with an extensive infrastructure supported by core facilities dedicated to technology such as state-of-the-art light microscopy, nano- and micro- fabrication, and computing.

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Spatial Omics to join the efforts of Asst. Prof. Jennifer Young’s Soft Nano-Biomaterials group in a project focused on extracellular matrix (ECM)-based regulation of cardiac aging. Specifically, this project aims to develop integrated spatial ‘mechanomics’ maps that link ECM mechanics to molecular responses across aging and disease in the heart.

Project

One of the key physical changes in the aging heart is the progressive stiffening and structural remodeling of the ECM. These ECM changes directly impact resident cardiac cells; however, how ECM mechanics integrate with cellular gene and protein expression programs during aging remains poorly understood.

In this project, the postdoctoral fellow will integrate spatial mechanical tissue measurements with spatial transcriptomic and proteomic datasets to establish quantitative relationships between ECM structure, tissue mechanics, and cellular molecular states across cardiac aging. Computational and bioinformatic approaches will be developed to integrate these datasets in order to identify spatial and temporal interaction maps. Ultimately, this work aims to identify mechanically linked molecular pathways and potential therapeutic targets that contribute to age-related cardiac dysfunction.

The fellow will work closely with the Mechanobiology Institute’s High-Throughput Molecular Genetics and Computational Cores to process and analyze datasets. The project will combine mechanobiology, spatial omics, quantitative imaging, and computational biology, providing a highly interdisciplinary research environment.

MBI and NUS offer state-of-the-art facilities dedicated to high-resolution imaging and mechanical characterization, supporting the fellow in training, setup, and execution of the project.

Requirements

Candidates with a PhD in bioengineering, computational biology, systems biology, molecular biology, biomedical sciences, or related fields are encouraged to apply. Experience in bioinformatics, multi-omics analysis, spatial transcriptomics/proteomics, image analysis, mechanobiology, or ECM biology will be advantageous, but not all are mandatory. The candidate should possess strong quantitative skills, scientific curiosity, excellent communication abilities, and the capacity to work collaboratively in a highly interdisciplinary research environment.

Salary and benefits are commensurable to educational qualifications and working experience of the candidates.

To Apply

Applicants should upload the following with their online application:

1. a brief description of research interests and experience, and
2. a full CV, with the names and contacts (email addresses) of two to three references.

Scientific inquiries about this position can be sent via email to Asst. Prof. Jennifer Y

Apply now