美国俄克拉荷马州医学研究基金会功能与化学基因组学跨学科博士后职位

Job Description

The Functional and Chemical Genomics Program at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF, https://omrf.org/) is inviting applications for three interdisciplinary post-doctoral fellowship awards. The selected fellows will engage in highly independent research projects with joint mentorship from program faculty. OMRF is a non-profit private foundation dedicated to fundamental, interdisciplinary research and to the translation of knowledge to medicine. Research interests within FCG include fundamental questions emerging from ongoing high-throughput genetic and epigenetic studies of disease using the latest technologies in genomics, functional genomics, model system biology, and chemical biology. The Program occupies newly renovated space designed to foster highly collaborative and innovative research using genetic model systems including C. elegans, Drosophila, planaria, zebrafish, mice, and stem cells. Our strategy aims embrace the post-genomic era in scaling the functional analysis of genetic and epigenetic alterations underlying human disease. Appointed fellows within the program will be engaged in a robust formal training environment designed to prepare them for successful independent careers in Science. OMRF researchers have access to state-of-the-art facilities and outstanding core technology laboratories including Imaging, Next-generation Sequencing, Clinical Genomics, and more. Candidates holding a Ph.D. and/or M.D. in biological or biomedical science fields, and outstanding graduate research accomplishments should submit applications directly to FunctionalChemicalGenomics@omrf.org: 1) Cover Letter; 2) Curriculum Vitae; 3) Research Statement; 4) Contact information for three references. To learn more visit https://omrf.org/programs/functional-chemical-genomics-research-program/

Three specific interdisciplinary project opportunities include:
Dr. Wan Hee Yoon and Dr. Gaurav Varshney are collaborating on a project to model human diseases carrying OGDH family genes. Fellows undertaking this project will emerge with expertise in Drosophila genetics and Crisper Cas-9 targeting in zebrafish.

Dr. David Jones, Dr. Jian Li, and Dr. Magdalena Bieniasz are collaborating on a project examining a novel role of HSF1 and its aberrant activation in cancer. Fellows will have the opportunity to develop expertise in human patient-derived xenografts, to determine programmatic transcriptional targets of HSF1 and its connection to known oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes.

Dr. David Forsthoefel, Dr. Wan Hee Yoon, and Dr. David Jones are collaborating on a project examining the roles of Xbp1 in stem cells, regeneration, innate immunity, and cancer. Fellows involved in this project will help define the mechanistic roles of Xbp1 and novel proteostasis regulators in planaria, drosophila, and zebrafish.

Functional and Chemical Genomics Laboratories
David Jones Lab: The Jones lab focuses on determining the genetic and mechanistic underpinnings of human disease with a long time focus on colon cancer. We juxtapose genetic studies in humans with mechanistic and epistatic studies in using zebrafish as a model. We have a longstanding interest in drug discovery to match specific genetic conditions and have been successful in the development of multiple clinical trials for cancer. For more information, please contact david-jones@omrf.org.

David Forsthoefel Lab: The Forsthoefel lab aims to understand fundamental and biomedically relevant mechanisms of tissue regeneration. In planarians (freshwater flatworms), tissue damage activates pluripotent stem cells that completely regenerate injured organs. We are interested in how intestinal damage is communicated to stem cells, how differentiation of distinct intestinal cell types is achieved without overgrowth or mis-specification, and how the intestinal epithelium responds to stimuli like stress or inflammation. For more information, please contact david-forsthoefel@omrf.org.

Magdalena Bieniasz Lab: The Bieniasz lab explores the mechanistic role of oncogenic drivers in cancer progression and resistance to therapy to generate more effective and personalized treatment options for ovarian cancer patients with the ultimate goal of translation of these therapies into clinical practice. To complement studies evaluating the function of tumor oncogenes and to develop the clinically-relevant therapy against the crucial tumor drivers, we are implementing one of the most faithful, preclinical models of human cancer, which are patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). For more information, please contact magdalena-bieniasz@omrf.org.

Gaurav Varshney Lab: The Varshney lab focuses on understanding disease pathologies, specifically, human hearing loss, using functional genomics and high-throughput mutagenesis approaches in Zebrafish. Our goal is to functionally validate candidate hearing loss genes that were identified from various genetic screenings, exome sequencing, or GWAS projects, and ultimately to develop novel therapeutics for hearing loss. For more information, please contact gaurav-varshney@omrf.org.

Wan Hee Yoon Lab: The Yoon lab aims to discover molecular and cellular mechanisms of human mitochondrial diseases. Our overall goal is to learn how cells maintain mitochondrial structure and metabolism, how failures in that system contribute to human pathologies and, ultimately, to find treatments for those diseases. We use Drosophila as a genetic model to accomplish our mission. We also focus on identifying novel and previously unknown human diseases using the newest genetic technologies in Drosophila. For more information, please contact wanhee-yoon@omrf.org.

Jian Li Lab: The Li lab studies the stress response pathways and protein quality control mechanisms in development and longevity, and their dysregulation in diseases like neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. We utilize the nematode, C. elegans, as a model to study fundamental questions in development and aging, and human tissue culture system to understand cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie malignancy. Our lab combines the power of unbiased genomics, functional genomics, and bioinformatics with detailed functional dissection using genetics, molecular and cell biology, and biochemistry. For more information, please contact jian-li@omrf.org.