Post Doctoral Fellow - SOM Cardiac Lab

Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research; Frederick (MD); On-site; USD 45,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research seeks a Postdoctoral Fellow to join the Standardized Organoid Modeling (SOM) Initiative in the Cardiac Tissue Engineering Laboratory. The role focuses on developing human cardiac organoids from iPSCs, blending stem cell biology, bioengineering, and functional phenotyping to establish robust organoid models.

The successful candidate will work on reproducible organoid generation, quantitative benchmarks, and integration of imaging,

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant bioscience field and completion of doctoral training.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Experience with organoid biology or stem cell culture is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Protocol development for cardiac organoids with emphasis on reproducibility and maturation.
• Characterisation of organoid development, cellular composition, and function using advanced methods.
• Investigate inter-donor and inter-line variability to identify determinants of quality.
• Collaborate to develop scalable imaging and automated workflows.
• Integrate imaging, electrophysiology, and molecular data using computational approaches.
• Maintain rigorous experimental records and contribute to SOPs and publications.

Skills

Strong scientific communication

Organisational skills

Collaborative skills

Microsoft Office skills

Ability to obtain security clearance

Education

PhD degree in a bioscience field

Foreign degrees evaluated for U.S. equivalency

Tools

Microsoft Office

Flow cytometry

qPCR

Immunofluorescence

Confocal microscopy

Job description

Job ID: req4743

Employee Type: exempt full-time

Division: Laboratory Animal Science Program

Facility: Frederick: Ft Detrick

Location: PO Box B, Frederick, MD 21702 USA

The Frederick National Laboratory is operated by Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. The lab addresses some of the most urgent and intractable problems in the biomedical sciences in cancer and AIDS, drug development and first-in-human clinical trials, applications of nanotechnology in medicine, rapid response to emerging threats of infectious diseases.

Accountability, Compassion, Collaboration, Dedication, Integrity and Versatility; it's the FNL way.

Program Description

The Laboratory & Animal Sciences Program (LASP) provides exceptional quality animal care and technical support services for laboratory and animal research performed at the National Cancer Institute at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. LASP executes this mission by providing a broad spectrum of husbandry, veterinary, state-of-the-art technology, and pre-clinical scientific services. LASP also provides primary support to the Standardized Organoid Modeling (SOM) Initiative to address the need for validated, scalable, and reproducible organoid-based Novel Alternative Methods (NAMs) in biomedical research. Our team provides technical infrastructure, operational integration, and specialized expertise to drive the development and optimisation of organoid models of normal (non-cancerous) human tissues derived from a wide range of tissue types and donor sources.

Position Overview

The Standardized Organoid Modeling (SOM) Initiative is seeking a highly motivated and innovative Postdoctoral Fellow to join the Cardiac Tissue Engineering Laboratory, directed by Dr. Aitor Aguirre. The SOM Initiative aims to transform the use of human organoid technologies in biomedical research by establishing validated, scalable, and reproducible organoid-based models. The initiative focuses on developing physiologically relevant models of normal human tissues that can serve as standardized platforms for biological discovery, disease modelling, and translational research. The successful candidate will contribute to the development and characterisation of next‑generation human cardiac organoids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Our research combines stem cell biology, cardiac developmental biology, bioengineering, and advanced functional phenotyping to generate multicellular cardiac tissues that recapitulate key features of the human heart. We will place major emphasis on developing robust, reproducible methods for cardiac organoid generation and establishing quantitative benchmarks for organoid identity, quality, maturation, and function across multiple donor‑derived iPSC lines.

RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES

The SOM Cardiac Tissue Engineering Laboratory offers a dynamic, interdisciplinary environment dedicated to advancing human organoid technologies and biomedical innovation. The successful candidate will contribute to pioneering research, develop cutting‑edge technologies, establish standards for cardiac organoids, and generate high‑impact scientific work. We seek highly motivated, creative, and collaborative individuals passionate about breakthrough science and advancing human disease modelling, drug discovery, and translational research.

Key Roles/Responsibilities

• Protocol development, quality control and optimisation for cardiac organoids, emphasising reproducibility, scalability, physiological relevance, and maturation.
• Organoid Characterisation: Investigate cardiac organoid development, cellular composition, structural organisation, and physiological function using advanced microscopy, molecular biology, transcriptomics, and functional assays.
• Multicellular interactions, disease modelling, and tissue architecture.
• Reproducibility and Variability: Systematically evaluate inter‑donor, inter‑line, and inter‑batch variability to identify critical determinants of organoid quality.
• Technology Development and Automation: Collaborate with other SOM teams to develop scalable imaging, high‑content screening, automated experimental workflows.
• Data Integration and Computational Analysis: Work with multidisciplinary teams to integrate imaging, electrophysiological, and molecular datasets using advanced computational approaches, including AI/ML, to support standardised organoid evaluation.
• Scientific Documentation and Dissemination: Maintain rigorous experimental records, contribute to standardised operating procedures and technical reports, and participate in scientific publications and presentations.

Basic Qualifications

To be considered for this position, you must minimally meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below:

• Possession of a PhD degree from an accredited college or university according to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Foreign degrees must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency.
• No experience necessary beyond doctoral degree.
• Must possess basic Microsoft Office skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

Candidates with these desired skills will be given preferential consideration:

• PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Stem Cell Biology, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Cardiovascular Biology, Molecular Biology, or a closely related discipline from an accredited institution.
• Demonstrated experience in experimental biomedical research and the ability to independently design, execute, troubleshoot, and analyse experiments.
• Strong scientific communication, organisational, and collaborative skills.
• Proficiency with standard scientific documentation, data analysis, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Hands‑on experience with human pluripotent stem cell culture, differentiation, and/or three‑dimensional organoid systems.
• Expertise in cardiovascular biology, cardiac development, cardiac tissue engineering, or regenerative medicine.
• Experience with cardiac functional assays, including contractility measurements, electrophysiology, calcium imaging, or high‑content imaging.
• Experience with immunofluorescence, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, quantitative PCR, or other molecular and cellular characterisation methods.
• Familiarity with single‑cell RNA sequencing, transcriptomics, bioinformatics.
• Experience with assay development, quality control, and/or high‑throughput screening.
• Knowledge of biomaterials, tissue engineering, organoid biology or organ‑on‑chip technologies.
• Familiarity with computational analysis, machine learning, or AI‑assisted phenotyping is an advantage.

Candidates are not expected to possess expertise in all Preferred areas listed above.

Applicants with complementary technical backgrounds and a strong interest in developing advanced human cardiac models are encouraged to apply.

JOB HAZARDS

• This position is subject to working with or has the potential for exposure to infectious material, requiring medical clearance and immunisations.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, colour, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.

Pay And Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available here

44,900.00 - 64,200.00 USD

The posted pay range for this job is a general guideline and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include, but are not limited to, responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as internal equity, and alignment with market data.

The salary range posted is a full-time equivalent salary and will vary depending on scheduled hours for part time positions