Postdoctoral Fellow - Retinal Biology, Usher Syndrome, and Translational Genomics

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Job Summary

Education
Doctorate Related Field of Study required

Can this role accept experience in lieu of a degree?
No

Licenses and Credentials

Experience
Previous Research experience 3-5 years required

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Demonstrated experience in research techniques, methods, or research areas relevant to the project.
- Proficient analytical skills, proficiency in statistical software, and excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team.
- Good interpersonal and communication skills.

Salary Range - $71,750.00 - $73,544.00/Annual

Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Mass Eye and Ear
Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

The Indzhykulian Laboratory at Mass Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow to lead and coordinate a collaborative research program investigating the retinal biology of Usher syndrome and advancing the development of therapeutic approaches for inherited sensory disorders.

The project brings together investigators with expertise and existing datasets spanning human retina, human retinal organoids, and multiple animal models. The initial goal is to define the therapeutically relevant expression and isoform usage of Usher syndrome genes in the human retina, place these findings in comparative animal context, and establish experimentally supported priorities for retinal cell targeting and therapeutic development.

A major component of the project will involve integrating published and unpublished data generated by multiple collaborating laboratories, identifying areas of agreement and discrepancy across datasets and experimental models, and designing targeted experiments to resolve the most important remaining questions. The work is intended to provide a biological foundation for the development and evaluation of gene-replacement, genome-editing, and other therapeutic strategies for Usher syndrome.

The successful candidate will work in the Indzhykulian laboratory while interacting closely with a multidisciplinary group of collaborators at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard-affiliated institutions, and other research centers in the United States and internationally.

Responsibilities

The postdoctoral fellow will take a central role in the scientific and day-to-day coordination of the project. Responsibilities will include:

• Integrating and critically evaluating retinal gene-expression and transcript/isoform data from multiple laboratories and experimental systems.
• Working with computational collaborators to analyze single-cell, bulk, and long-read transcriptomic datasets, with particular attention to cell-type-specific expression and isoform usage of genes associated with Usher syndrome.
• Comparing findings across human retina, retinal organoids, and relevant animal models to determine which systems best reproduce therapeutically important aspects of human retinal biology.
• Designing and performing targeted validation experiments in collaboration with participating laboratories, potentially including RNAscope/in situ hybridization, immunofluorescence, confocal microscopy, quantitative imaging, and studies in human retinal tissue and retinal organoids.
• Evaluating the specificity and suitability of antibodies and other reagents for protein-localization studies.
• Coordinating data exchange and experimental activities among participating laboratories and maintaining an integrated record of results across the collaboration.
• Presenting findings to collaborators, helping establish project milestones and priorities, and following up on discrepancies or unresolved questions.
• Taking a leading role in preparation of collaborative manuscripts integrating existing and newly generated data.
• Contributing to the development of subsequent studies of Usher syndrome retinal biology and therapeutic approaches.

Qualifications

Applicants should have a PhD, MD/PhD, MD with substantial research training, or equivalent doctoral degree in neuroscience, vision science, molecular/cellular biology, genetics, bioinformatics, or a related discipline.

Experience in one or more of the following areas is particularly desirable:

• Retinal biology or retinal disease
• Human retinal tissue or iPSC-derived retinal organoids
• Single-cell or bulk transcriptomic analysis
• Transcript/isoform analysis, including long-read sequencing
• RNAscope or other RNA-localization approaches
• Immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy
• Quantitative image analysis
• Molecular genetics or inherited retinal disease
• R, Python, or related computational/data-analysis approaches

The candidate isnot expected to have expertise in all of these areas. Of particular importance are scientific curiosity, critical thinking, strong organizational and communication skills, and the ability to work effectively across multiple laboratories and disciplines. The position is particularly well suited to a researcher interested in combining experimental retinal biology with genomic data analysis and translational therapeutic development.

Because this project involves contributions from numerous collaborating groups, the successful candidate should be comfortable taking scientific ownership of a complex project while working collaboratively with investigators from different disciplines and institutions.

Research Environment

The Indzhykulian Laboratory is part of the Eaton-Peabody Laboratories at Mass Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School. Our laboratory studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying sensory function and disease, with a major focus on auditory neuroscience, inner-ear hair-cell biology, and the development of gene therapies and other therapeutic approaches for inherited and acquired forms of deafness. A particular area of interest is Usher syndrome, which provides an opportunity to extend our work on sensory-cell biology and therapeutic development across both the auditory and visual systems.

This position will lead the retinal component of this expanding research program and will provide an opportunity to work at the interface of retinal biology, auditory neuroscience, human genetics, genomics, and therapeutic development. The successful candidate will interact with investigators across Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard-affiliated institutions, and a broader network of collaborators with expertise in human retina, retinal organoids, animal models, inherited retinal disease, auditory neuroscience, and gene therapy.

The position is available pending finalization of funding and institutional approvals.