Dr. Alison Goate’s laboratory in the Departments of Genetics and Genomic Sciences and of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City is currently looking for two highly skilled and motivated molecular and cell biologists to be the drivers of our efforts to translate the human genetics of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) into effective preventative and therapeutic interventions.
One area of focus will be translating genetics and human biology observations into both in vitro (induced pluripotent stem cell models) and in vivo systems (mouse models) to understand innate immune modifiers of AD pathogenesis. In particular, the Goate lab concentrates on identifying human genetic variants associated with AD and dissecting the molecular, cellular, and tissue-level mechanisms by which these variants and the associated genes (e.g., APOE, TREM2, SPI1/PU.1, MEF2C, MS4A) modulate disease risk, with a major focus on the role of microglial cell function (e.g., phagocytic clearance of cholesterol-rich cellular debris) in the maintenance of brain tissue homeostasis during aging and in disease conditions.
The second project investigates how the human genetics of the 17q21.31 “MAPT/tau” locus contributes to mechanisms underlying human Tauopathies. This project uses multi-OMICS approaches in human brain tissue and induced pluripotent stem cell models of H1 and H2 haplotype risk to determine the molecular bases of H1 risk for tauopathy and the potential for H2 protection in MAPT mutation carriers. Successful candidates will join a multidisciplinary and highly collaborative research team that includes geneticists, computational biologists, immunologists, neuroscientists, and physician-scientists at the Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, as well as at other leading US and European academic institutions.
Qualifications and Skills
- Ph.D. in Biology, Neuroscience, Immunology, or related field with deep expertise in molecular and cellular biology techniques
- Strong research experience in microglia/macrophage biology or tau biology (preferred)
- Strong research experience in mouse microglia/macrophage biology in vivo (preferred) – or – Strong research experience in human iPSC technology and targeted genome editing in vitro (preferred) – or – Strong research experience in high-throughput technologies for bulk and single-cell transcriptomics, epigenomics, lipidomics and/or proteomics (preferred) – or – Strong research experience in functional genomics (e.g., siRNA, shRNA, CRISPR/Cas9, and chemogenomic) screens (preferred)
- Knowledge of experimental design
- Statistical and quantitative analysis skills
- Basic bioinformatics skills (preferred)
- Self-motivated and highly dedicated
- Effective organizational and prioritization skills
- Effective oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills
- Ability to work both independently as well as collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment