Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cellular and Molecular Medicine

The laboratory combines human endothelial cell culture and perturbation systems with genomic discovery tools to dissect how genetic variation at CAD-associated loci operates through the vessel wall.

Active research areas include

Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) mapping in human endothelial cell cohorts exposed to various in vitro environments. Genetic and heterogeneity-based analysis of endothelial cell molecular traits using single-cell RNA sequencing and chromatin accessibility profiling . Colocalization and Mendelian Randomization between genetic signals in endothelial cells and GWAS signals for vascular phenotypes.

Integration with population-scale biobanks including UK Biobank, All of Us, and others. Functional characterization of candidate effector genes using laboratory assays for endothelial functions.

Primary Job Duties Include

• Design and execute experiments using primary human endothelial cells.
• Prepare and QC sequencing libraries including bulk RNA-seq, small RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and single-cell libraries.
• Perform genome-scale mapping and genetic colocalization with GWAS summary statistics.
• Analyze *-seq datasets using standard and custom bioinformatics pipelines.
• Contribute to grant writing, manuscript preparation, and presentations at national conferences.
• Mentor and support trainees and other members of the laboratory.

Knowledge, Skills Abilities:

• Ability operating specialized equipment in a laboratory setting.
• Proficiency in sequencing library preparation, including bulk RNA-seq, small RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and single-cell sequencing protocols.
• Knowledge of genetic colocalization methods using GWAS and molecular QTL summary statistics.
• Working knowledge of large-scale biobank resources, particularly the All of US Research Program and phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) frameworks.
• Biological knowledge of vascular cell types, endothelial function, and the pathobiology of atherosclerosis.