Postdoctoral Fellow in Senescence, Aging and Inflammation

University of Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Pennsylvania's Penn Dental Medicine invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in Senescence, Aging and Inflammation. The project investigates how senescence and inflammatory signals affect aging-related periodontal pathology, using mouse models and human tissues.

The fellow will perform scRNA-seq and Xenium spatial genomics analyses, integrate data with imaging, and contribute to manuscripts and grant applications, with mentoring from Dr.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in a relevant field.
• Strong background in cell biology, molecular biology, immunology, genomics, computational biology, bioinformatics, or related discipline.
• Demonstrated rigor and ability to interpret diverse findings.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate across disciplines.
• Excellent scientific writing and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms linking senescence and inflammation to tissue dysfunction using in vivo mouse models.
• Lead or contribute to bioinformatic analyses of scRNA-seq and Xenium spatial transcriptomic datasets.
• Develop and execute rigorous experimental approaches using in vivo, ex vivo, and/or in vitro models.
• Perform quality control, data integration, cell annotation, differential expression, and pathway analyses.
• Integrate transcriptomic findings with imaging, histology, and phenotypic measurements.
• Use immunofluorescence and quantitative image analysis to characterize localization and tissue organization.
• Develop reproducible experimental and computational workflows.
• Interpret findings and contribute to strategy and grant writing.
• Generate figures, present findings, and communicate with collaborators.
• Prepare first-author manuscripts and contribute to grant development.

Skills

Cell biology

Molecular biology

Immunology

Genomics

Computational biology

Bioinformatics

Single-cell analysis

Strong scientific writing

Education

PhD or equivalent doctoral degree

Tools

scRNA-seq analysis

Spatial transcriptomics

Xenium platform

Job description

Postdoctoral Fellow in Senescence, Aging andInflammation

Location: University of Pennsylvania - Penn Dental Medicine

Open Date: Sep 18, 2026

The Opportunity

A postdoctoral position is available in the laboratory of Dr. DanaT. Graves at the University of Pennsylvania School of DentalMedicine, Department of Periodontics. The fellow will investigatemechanisms by which cellular senescence and inflammation intersectto alter age-associated pathogenesis. The position integratesexperimental biology with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq),10x Genomics Xenium spatial transcriptomics, quantitative imaging,and molecular and cellular validation to define disease-associatedcell states, inflammatory signaling networks, and potentialtherapeutic targets.

Research Focus

The research program will examine how senescent cell states andinflammatory signals influence pathology that enhances aging-linkedpathology using a periodontal mouse model and human tissuevalidation. The fellow will participate in in vivo studies andanalyses of scRNA-seq and 10x Genomics Xenium datasets to identifysenescence-associated and inflammation-associated cell states,transcriptional programs, cell-cell communication networks,spatially organized cellular responses and mechanisms that lead togreater bone resorption. The analyses may include pathway analysis,trajectory and pseudotime analysis, regulatory-network inference,and ligand-receptor analysis. Experimental studies of aging andsenescence will include genetically engineered mouse models,primary mouse and human cell cultures, molecular perturbationstudies, histology, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry,quantitative image analysis, and other approaches used to validatecomputational findings and define mechanisms linking aging,senescence and inflammation with altered tissue function.

Key Responsibilities

• Investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms linking senescenceand inflammation to tissue dysfunction, repair, and regenerationusing in vivo mouse models.
• Lead or contribute substantially to bioinformatic analyses ofscRNA-seq and 10x Genomics Xenium spatial transcriptomicdatasets.
• Develop and execute rigorous experimental approaches using invivo, ex vivo, and/or in vitro models as appropriate to theproject.
• Perform quality control, data integration, cell annotation,differential expression, pathway, trajectory, state-transition, andligand-receptor analyses.
• Integrate transcriptomic findings with imaging, histologic,cellular, and phenotypic measurements.
• Use immunofluorescence and quantitative image analysis tocharacterize cellular localization, spatial distribution, andtissue organization.
• Develop rigorous, reproducible experimental and computationalworkflows.
• Interpret findings in biological and disease contexts andcontribute to analytical and experimental strategy.
• Generate clear figures, present findings, and communicateeffectively with computational and experimentalcollaborators.
• Prepare first-author manuscripts and contribute to grantdevelopment and collaborative studies.

Computational and Experimental Environment

For single-cell and spatial genomics studies, the primarycomputational environment uses R, Seurat, and related tools, withother validated methods used when they improve analytical rigor orbiological interpretation. Quantitative imaging andspatial-analysis tools will be selected based on the specimens,imaging modalities, and scientific questions. Candidates withstrong experimental backgrounds will have opportunities to developadditional expertise in computational analysis, while candidateswith strong computational backgrounds will have opportunities togain experience with biological validation and experimentalsystems.

Research Environment and Career Development

The Graves laboratory integrates computational discovery with invivo models, human specimens, histology, flow cytometry,immunofluorescence, primary cell culture, molecular perturbationstudies, and quantitative analysis. The fellow will havesubstantial intellectual ownership of their project, includingdevelopment of experimental directions, selection of analyticalapproaches, interpretation and presentation of findings,preparation of first-author manuscripts, and participation in grantwriting. Development of independent fellowship applications isencouraged.

Dr. Graves will provide direct scientific mentoring and regularproject guidance. The fellow will collaborate with investigatorsand shared-resource specialists across the University ofPennsylvania. Penn core facilities support single-cell and spatialgenomics, biostatistics, imaging, histology, and quantitativeanalysis. The position is designed to support scientificindependence, strong publications, grant development, andpreparation for an academic or industry career.

Qualifications

• A PhD, MD, DMD, DVM, or equivalent doctoral degree in a relevantfield.
• A strong background in cell biology, molecular biology,immunology, skeletal biology, bioengineering, genomics,computational biology, bioinformatics, systems biology, or arelated discipline.
• Demonstrated scientific rigor and the ability to interpretexperimental or computational findings in a biologicalcontext.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively acrossdisciplines.
• Strong scientific writing, presentation, and communicationskills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with aging, cellular senescence, inflammation, immunebiology, tissue repair, or related areas.
• Experience with mouse genetics and disease models, molecular andcellular assays, histology, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, orquantitative image analysis.
• Experience with scRNA-seq or spatial transcriptomics.
• Experience integrating molecular, imaging, histologic, andphenotypic data.
• Candidates with a strong experimental background who wish todevelop expertise in single-cell and spatial genomics, orcomputational candidates who wish to expand their experimentalexpertise, are encouraged to apply.

Selected Publications

• Diabetes exacerbates destructive inflammation by activating theCD137L-CD137 axis. Journal of Clinical Investigation. PMID:41379565.
• Single Cell Sequencing Identifies Distinct Cellular Alterationsin Impaired Aged and Diabetic Wounds. Aging Cell. PMID:41189300.
• Ko KI et al. NF-kappaB perturbation reveals uniqueimmunomodulatory functions in Prx1-positive fibroblasts thatpromote development of atopic dermatitis. Science TranslationalMedicine. 2022. PMID: 35108061.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement. The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer.Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race,color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenshipstatus, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state, or local law.