Postdoctoral Researcher : Philadelphia, PA, United States

Postdoctoral Researcher in DNA Repair and Genome Stability, laboratory of Dr. Roger Greenberg at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

The laboratory of Dr. Roger Greenberg within the Cancer Biology Department at the University of Pennsylvania is seeking highly motivated postdoctoral researchers interested in fundamental mechanisms of DNArepair. Our research group has pioneered novel approaches to visualize and interrogate the molecular events responsible for DNA double-strand break recognition and repair in mammalian cells. We pursue these basic questions at the biochemical, genetic, and cell biological levels, and have successfully related molecular mechanisms of DNA repair to genetic causes of cancer susceptibility and response to therapy. As a focal point to interrogate these interrelationships, we are devoted to the elucidation of BRCA1- and BRCA2- dependent homologous recombination DNA repair mechanisms and their roles in breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility. We have more recently developed an additional focus on cancer associated telomere length maintenance mechanisms that rely on a specialized form of homologous recombination. We utilize state-of-the-art biological approaches to understand: (1) how BRCA1 and BRCA2 recognize and function at DNAdamage sites, and (2) how DNA repair pathway choice affects response to anti-cancer therapies.

We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic and motivated Postdoctoral Researcher in these areas. Candidates will have a PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or related Biological Science and an extensive publication record in these areas.

Relevant Publications

Cho NW, Greenberg RA: Familiar ends with alternative endings. Nature 518(7538), 2015.

Cho NW, Dilley RL, Lampson MA, Greenberg RA: Interchromosomal Homology Searches Drive DirectionalALT Telomere Movement and Synapsis. Cell 159(1): 108-21, September 2014.

Sawyer SL, Tian L, Kahkonen M, Schwartzentruber J, Kircher M, Majewski J, Dyment DA, Innes AM, Boycott KM, Moreau LA, Moilanen JS, Greenberg RA: Biallelic Mutations in BRCA1 Cause a New Fanconi Anemia Subtype. Cancer Discovery 5(2): 135-42, 2015

Tang J, Cho NW, Cui G, Manion EM, Shanbhag NM, Botuyan MV, Mer G, Greenberg RA: Acetylation limits 53BP1 association with damaged chromatin to promote homologous recombination. Nat Struct Mol Biol 20(3): 317-25, March 2013

Greenberg RA: BRCA1, everything but the RING? Science 334(6055): 459-60, 2012

Solyom S, Aressy B, Pylkäs K, Patterson-Fortin J, Hartikainen JM, Kallioniemi A, Kauppila S, Nikkilä J, Kosma VM, Mannermaa A, Greenberg RA, Winqvist R: Recurrent breast cancer predisposition-associated Abraxas mutation disrupts nuclear localization and DNA damage response functions of BRCA1. Science Trans Med 4(122): 122ra-23, 2012

Shanbhag NM, Rafalska-Metcalf IU, Balane-Bolivar C, Janicki SM, and Greenberg RA: ATM dependent chromatin changes silence transcription in cis to DNA Double Strand Breaks. Cell 141: 970-81, 2010

Shao G, Patterson-Fortin J, Messick TE, Feng D, Shanbhag N, Wang Y, Greenberg RA: MERIT40 controls BRCA1-Rap80 complex integrity and recruitment to DNA double-strand breaks. Genes & Development 23(6): 740-54, 2009

Sobhian B, Shao G, Lilli DR, Culhane AC, Moreau LA, Xia B, Livingston DM, Greenberg RA: RAP80 targets BRCA1 to specific ubiquitin structures at DNA damage sites. Science 316(5828): 1198-202, 2007