Postdoc in Stem Cell Epigenetics & Neural Crest

UC Irvine; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 71,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

UC Irvine’s Sparks Laboratory seeks a Postdoctoral Scholar to explore molecular and epigenetic controls of early hPSC differentiation, focusing on neural crest and mesoderm lineages. The role combines stem cell biology, multi-omics, and functional validation to define intermediate states and regulatory networks.

The scholar will develop an independent research profile within a collaborative team, oversee experimental design, data integration, manuscript preparation, and contribute to future

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in stem cell biology, developmental biology, molecular biology, cell biology, genetics/genomics, epigenetics, biomedical sciences, toxicology, pharmacology/pharmaceutical sciences or a closely related field by the start date.
• Demonstrated experience with mammalian cell culture and molecular and/or cellular biology techniques.
• Ability to design experiments, troubleshoot methods, analyze data, interpret results, and maintain rigorous research documentation.
• Evidence of scientific productivity and the ability to communicate research findings through manuscripts, presentations, or other scholarly products.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment.
• Strong written and oral scientific communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and culture human embryonic stem cells and conduct directed differentiation experiments toward neural crest and mesoderm lineages.
• Perform side-by-side evaluation and optimization of hPSC neural crest and mesoderm differentiation protocols, including assessment of reproducibility, differentiation efficiency, cell identity, and population purity.
• Characterize differentiating cell populations using molecular and cellular approaches such as qPCR, Western blotting, immunocytochemistry, and flow cytometry.
• Evaluate the ability of neural crest- and mesoderm-derived populations to progress toward mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) states and characterize resulting phenotypes and lineage-specific properties.
• Conduct time-course studies to identify intermediate cell states and molecular events associated with early neural crest and mesoderm lineage commitment.
• Investigate epigenetic regulation of differentiation, with emphasis on DNA methylation, miRNA expression, transcriptional regulation, and chromatin accessibility.
• Generate, process, analyze, and/or integrate multi-omics datasets, including DNA methylation sequencing, miRNA sequencing, bulk RNA sequencing, single-cell RNA sequencing, and single-cell ATAC sequencing.
• Identify candidate genes and epigenetic regulators from integrated datasets and perform functional validation using gene knockdown and overexpression, miRNA inhibition or overexpression, and perturbation of DNA methyltransferases.
• Contribute to chromatin-focused studies, including CUT&RUN and next-generation sequencing, to identify regulatory regions associated with neural crest and mesoderm differentiation.
• Assist with the development and characterization of reporter hPSC models and other experimental approaches that emerge from the R35 research program.
• Analyze and interpret experimental results; maintain accurate, organized, and reproducible records of protocols, data, analyses, and research progress.
• Conduct targeted literature reviews and synthesize current research in stem cell biology, developmental biology, epigenetics, genomics, and related areas.
• Co-author, draft, revise, and edit manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals.
• Prepare abstracts, posters, oral presentations, figures, and other scholarly products and present findings at laboratory meetings, seminars, and scientific conferences.
• Contribute to grant proposals and future funding applications, including scientific narratives, background and significance sections, methods, preliminary data, figures, and related proposal components.
• Participate in laboratory meetings and collaborative discussions concerning experimental design, interpretation of findings, manuscript development, and future research directions.
• Collaborate with laboratory members and investigators in developmental biology, stem cell biology, toxicology, genomics, clinical research, and related disciplines.
• Provide scientific and technical guidance to graduate students, undergraduate researchers, and other laboratory trainees, as appropriate.
• Participate in routine laboratory activities necessary to support rigorous, reproducible, ethical, and safe research practices.

Skills

Mammalian cell culture

Molecular biology techniques

Experimental design

Data analysis

Scientific communication

Education

Ph.D. in stem cell biology or related field

Tools

qPCR

Western blotting

Flow cytometry

CUT&RUN

Genomic data analysis

Job description

UC Irvine’s Sparks Laboratory seeks a Postdoctoral Scholar to explore molecular and epigenetic controls of early hPSC differentiation, focusing on neural crest and mesoderm lineages. The role combines stem cell biology, multi-omics, and functional validation to define intermediate states and regulatory networks.

The scholar will develop an independent research profile within a collaborative team, oversee experimental design, data integration, manuscript preparation, and contribute to future